


Rippling Blue Reflections

by Durkmenistan



Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types
Genre: Action/Adventure, Animal Attack, Animal Death, Animal Violence, Canon-Typical Violence, Childhood Trauma, Classism, Coming of Age, Disability, Immolation, Kantou-chihou | Kanto Region (Pokemon), Pokemon Journey, Sadomasochism, Supremacism, War Crimes
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-16
Updated: 2020-11-09
Packaged: 2021-03-04 19:28:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 16
Words: 38,129
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25021693
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Durkmenistan/pseuds/Durkmenistan
Summary: The main story is a slow arc that follows the events of Pokémon Red and Blue from Blue's perspective, but updated to include elements of the modern games. However, this piece starts with the first flashback chapter, which will show the background history that influences this world. I took more creative liberties with this, but it should mostly abide by established lore.
Kudos: 4





	1. Phenac Plains  [Surge]

**Author's Note:**

> I want to include trigger warnings, but a huge part of Blue's journey is his inexperience with the world. As a result, I won't give trigger warnings on a chapter-by-chapter basis, so as not to spoil what Blue goes through (including mentally). However, I will update the tags to reflect triggers that have been written into the story somewhere, and will add more when necessary; please be aware that anything tagged may pop up at any time. 
> 
> Flashbacks (like the first chapter) will usually contain war scenes, and are more likely to contain triggers.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Flashback #1

**15 Years Ago**

“Get ready, men. We charge on my signal.”

Lieutenant Matias Sugo rode to the center of his unit’s line, his straw blonde hair pasted against his scalp by his military-issued helmet. Zebstrika slowed to a trot as they approached their spot in the line, and he looked to confirm their formation one last time. Sugo’s insistence on using Electric-type Pokémon whenever possible had earned him the loving nickname “Surge” among his superiors, and was the reason his mount was unique among the Coalition cavalry.

Beside and behind him were formed neat rows of light cavalry, entirely composed of Rapidash. Surge could see his second’s Pokémon in the back row, sporting white flames instead of the typical red. It helped him stand out, like Zebstrika did, but was also a less than subtle brag.

_We really need to find alternate forms of light cavalry; having such uniform composition gives us glaring weaknesses._

Surge looked up to see what he’d been waiting for, as waves of Charizard and Salamence rose to the sky above them, then glided east toward the Phenac Forest, where the enemy had been hiding and launching guerrilla assaults for weeks. Surge’s cavalry had only just arrived with the rest of General Sakaki’s second division, having marched north after subjugating Phenac City. The first division was still stationed to the west, pacifying the east bank of the Agate River and managing the continued disarmament of the region from Phyrite Town.

_Sakaki’s proven himself a genius at sweeping the region for trainers and wild Pokémon. I’d heard of his unprecedented success in disarming Pasio, but I guess I still managed to underestimate him._

The infantry line began their advance, marching along the route taken by the aerial corps toward a broad field of tall grass. They were halfway across, holding position, when the dragons began to torch the forest, sweeping across it with a gigantic wave of Flamethrower. Surge could see the infantry started calling out their Pokémon even from his position, as several called out Onix.

_That’s our cue._

“Charge!”

Surge’s light cavalry unit swept in at a steady pace from the southeast, rounding the other side of the forest. He felt the familiar anticipation of battle, though he was still getting used to Zebstrika’s unique rhythm. Surge led his specific contingent toward their designated section of the treeline, as his force spread out like a net to cover the side of the forest not yet aflame.

Men and Pokémon started pouring out of the woods, scrambling for safety as they poured into their battleline. Both were trampled underfoot, hit with Take Down, or slashed by swords as they fled. It was impossible to tell which were wild and which belonged to the soldiers, so they all had to die.

_We can’t risk a war-trained Pokémon with a grudge infiltrating our ranks._

It was bloody work, but Surge revelled in every spray of blood across his face, the soft static from Zebstrika’s coat against his uniform. Men screamed for mercy, and he gave them the only true mercy- death. Zebstrika’s sides dripped with red and the occasional yellow, like some beautiful piece of modern art.

_A masterpiece. Mom always wanted me to become a painter like her; she said I had a beautiful skill. Probably not what she expected._

Slowly, the enemy soldiers escaping the forest trickled to a stop, as the entire area was ablaze; those who still came out were cut down, still covered in flames.

_This is what Pokémon are for! To prove our supremacy, to expand the Coalition!_

Among the battered human bodies lay their many companions: Simisage and Leavanny, Sawsbuck and Escavalier. Surge urged his Zebstrika forward, and it finished off a Galvantula that had been attempting to shield its owner’s corpse with a Stomp, splattering them both with putrid yellow fluid.

Enormous explosive sounds reverberated across the battlefield, as Exploud called the signal to retreat with their Boombursts. Surge turned Zebstrika to the north to get a view, and then watched as it kicked a dark blue amphibian that appeared from the shadows in front of him. 

_Shadow Sneak! Wait, that frog is from Kalos. They aren’t supposed to have arrived yet; they should still be landing in Unova. And if they sent one to assassinate a division leader, what about the general?_

“Good job! Wild Charge! Fry that frog, Zebstrika!”

Her coat bristled out, sticking his skin with hundreds of shocking needles. He didn’t notice the Greninja die beneath her feet, preoccupied as he was by the shocking overstimulation, the pains and the pleasures of battle.

_Ah, the perks of being a division leader. I wonder what other Electric Pokémon we can plunder from these regions._

As expected, the Alliance cavalry and air forces had begun to appear on the horizon. General Makaki had skillfully brought his army in a forced march so as to eliminate the guerrilla units before those enemy reinforcements could arrive, but they had limited time. Surge shouted for a panicked retreat as Alliance soldiers riding Hydreigon, Archeops and Braviary flew toward them, hoping to save what few of their comrades remained. Surge’s cavalry fled back to the east, followed by the Unovan air forces and, further behind, by their cavalry.

_Ha! Looks like the General was right again; they had to ride too hard to bring their infantry or heavy cavalry!_

Surge’s cavalry swung north, leading the air forces directly around the burning forest, and into the line of Charizard and Salamence. They hadn’t been visible from the enemy’s viewpoint due to the enormous amounts of smoke and the light of the fire, and plowed into the Unovan ranks in the sky above. A dogfight ensued overhead.

“Release the anti-air Pokémon!”

Surge’s cavalry briefly slowed, as each man pulled out a ball. Pidgeot, Fearow, Noctowl and Swellow filled the air, and immediately ascended to attack the unfamiliar Pokémon that assaulted the Coalition forces. Overwhelmed by double the numbers, from the front and below, the enemy air corps wouldn’t stand a chance. In addition, if a large number of these Flying-type support Pokémon died in the attack, it wouldn’t be a huge loss, as they were all common birds anyway. The cavalry returned to a gallop at Surge’s command, heading to the northwest as the enemy cavalry quickly gained on them.

_The Rapidash are all tired now; they’re trained for bursts, not sustained speed. The Unovans should know that._

The enemy cavalry broke into a full speed charge, with Surge’s forces slowing in exhaustion before them. As soon as the Unovans passed the tall grass though, they started stopping short, men flying off their saddles. Sawsbuck and Zebstrika collapsed everywhere, screaming horrifically as their legs broke on Stealth Rock, tripped up by Sticky Web, or unable to stand due to Spikes in their hooves.

To the east, the special infantry appeared from their camouflaged position in the tall grass.. Pokémon like Ariados, Onix, Rhydon and Sandslash attacked, slaughtering the cavalrymen who had been thrown. Surge could even see one Rhyperior that was shooting Shuckle from its arm barrels, instead of the typical Geodude. Their entry hazards had crippled the Unovan forces, and they were trained to deal with the clean up as well.

The back half of the enemy cavalry slowed, but before they could turn to escape or circumvent the trap, the Coalition heavy cavalry came up behind them, having hidden behind a butte to the south. They hadn’t quite been fast enough to strike the enemy from behind, but they had blocked the enemy retreat. Unovans who dared risk it found themselves walled by Tauros, Mamoswine and even a few Mudsdale, which had been seized during the conquest of Alola. 

Sawsbuck broke before the Tauros, which had been trained specifically to counter them, with a full line of Close Combat. The Mamoswine and Mudsdale were completely immune to the Zebstrika charge, and literally crushed them as they advanced. The Alliance attempt to retreat was easily rebuffed, and as they became fully surrounded, many attempted to surrender, withdrawing their Pokémon and waving their hands in the air.

General Sakaki called for the captives and survivors to be rounded up, hovering thirty feet above on his Salamence. Surge looked back toward what remained of the dogfight; a few Fearow and Noctowl had fallen, and most of the enemy fliers. The general had apparently called off the aerial pursuit; it would’ve been difficult to corner the fleeing remnants in the air.

The Coalition air corps filed into formation around Sakaki, as a woman separated from the enemy forces, riding toward him on an elegant, bright green deer Pokémon while waving a white flag. The general descended a few yards in her direction, as if to accept their surrender, and gave an order.

His Salamence burned her alive in front of her troops, and his corps followed suit, using Flamethrower on the remaining Alliance cavalry as calmly as they had on the forest. The smell of burning wood was joined by that of burning flesh, a repulsive but, at this point, familiar scent.

_Another battle won; the general is almost too good. I was hoping to savor this campaign, but Orre is falling almost as quickly as Ferrum did._

The army broke to make camp nearby, as supply wagons from Phenac City started to appear from the south. Surge ordered a scouting party formed from his squadron, which would go check for stragglers. He dismounted Zebstrika and left her with an attendant, who would see to feeding and watering her, and started walking to the section of camp where the dragons were landing, since that was where the general’s command tent would be set up.

_A day of rest and triage for the wounded, and then we’ll march for Gravira Town. Maybe with the Kalosian forces joining the war, we’ll have a real battle by the time we take Castelia, if I’m lucky._

Surge smiled.


	2. Pallet Town

Blue sat up in his twin-size bed, squinting in the dim light of the sunrise outside his window. He had purposefully left the curtains open last night, to be extra sure he wouldn’t sleep late, but that had turned out to be unnecessary; he hadn’t really been able to sleep at all.

He looked over at his Chansey-shaped alarm clock, which wouldn’t start shaking back and forth eagerly making noise for more than an hour, and sullenly turned off the alarm.

_Might as well get up now._

After turning on the lights, he looked through his dresser and picked out some clothes. Daisy had said to pick something nice, but he figured he should pick something he liked, since it would be one of the few sets of clothing he’d have to choose from for quite a while. His favorites were already packed, of course, along with a collapsible tent, towel, sunscreen, bug spray, sunglasses, his wallet, and the rest. Honestly, it was pretty full.

_I guess I should shower. It’ll make Daisy happy, and it’s not like I’ll have to do it again for a while…_

He trudged back into his bedroom with his hair half wet and tossed his toothbrush, and full tubes of toothpaste, body wash and shampoo into his bag. It felt like he was missing something again, but he just sighed and picked up his backpack and sleeping bag in resignation, turned off the lights, and headed downstairs.

“Good morning, Blue! I thought I heard you showering up there!”

Daisy’s smile was usually infectious, but today it was hard for Blue to smile. He just wanted the next bit to be over, so he could finally get started.

His sister walked over from the open fridge, with her long brown hair swaying in time to her steps. As Daisy set down the milk next to the cereal box and empty bowl on the table in front of him, she seemed to notice him tracing shapes onto the tablecloth. He put the spoon down, and hid his face as he filled the cereal bowl.

“Have you checked to make sure you have everything?”

“Daisy, you know I have. Just leave me alone.” Blue stuffed some wet cereal into his mouth.

“I know, Blue. I just want to make sure, since it feels like you and I are always forgetting things.”

“That’s just you, Daisy.”

Blue looked away again, as she gave him that look like she knew better than him.

Breakfast ended up more heated than he’d have liked, but not more than he had expected. Daisy was just trying to make sure Blue was ready for the journey of a lifetime, which could take years to finish.

_I don’t really care though. Let’s just get these formalities over with, so I can get on the road already._

* * *

By the time he was out the door, Blue was already quite frustrated.

_Maybe I shouldn’t have yelled at Daisy like that. Why can’t she just leave me alone? She knows I have to start my journey today, and I’ve been preparing for this all my life! I’m so far past ready to go!_

He kicked a few small rocks on his way to the lab, scuffling along the path as the sun finally passes fully above the treeline. Pallet Town didn’t have that many houses or buildings really; he was looking forward to seeing Viridian City again.

_I need to get out of this place._

It was hardly the first time he’d thought that. He walked by Red’s house; Red was the only other kid in his grade who had decided to go on a journey. Blue’s grandfather loved to give out Pokémon to anyone who asked for one after they finished 5th grade, but gave out different Pokémon based on what the kid’s plan was. He preferred to give out Pokémon like Rattata, Spearow and Pidgey to kids who just wanted to stay in school for a while, or Jigglypuff to someone who wanted to go into modeling or acting. Stuff like that. Blue and Red though, they got to choose between Bulbasaur, Charmander and Squirtle. 

_I wonder which Pokémon Red will choose. I think Charmander is the cutest, and Charizard is really cool! But since Brock and Misty are the first gym leaders, maybe I should choose Bulbasaur?_

The door to the lab was unlocked, unsurprisingly. Gramps hadn’t been home when Blue left, so he was obviously here instead. Like always.

“Blue!”

One of Gramps’ research assistants gave him a wave, and walked over. Blue turned to her and crossed his arms, as he began to bob his shoulders up and down subconsciously.

“Professor Oak is doing some last minute observations outside, before you all get your Pokémon this morning. He didn’t say much else, but you could probably take a seat, and he should be back soon.”

Blue just nodded. He was irritated, but it wasn't her fault. He didn’t want to yell at anyone else this morning, if he could help it. He sat himself down in the back of the laboratory, and started thinking about which starter he should choose, again.

_Why do I need to keep debating this? I’ve thought through it a hundred times, and I already have my answer._

_Why is Gramps taking so long? I know I woke up early, but I got here on time. Why am I the only person in this family who is ever on time?_

* * *

Finally, Blue heard the door open and stood up. He left his bags on the floor for now, figuring that knowing his grandfather, this might take longer than it probably needed to. He walked up to the table with the three Poké Balls on it, as his grandfather came into sight.

“Gramps, you’re late! I’m fed up with waiting, you know.”

“Blue! That’s right, I told you to come, so you could help me test out the Pokédex! Red, you wanted to become the Pokémon Champion, right?”

Blue looked behind the professor, and saw Red nod shyly. Blue’s grandfather passed him and turned to his right, coming up behind the table.

“Good, good. Blue, just wait a second. Here, Red! If you want to be a serious Pokémon trainer, you should have a strong starting Pokémon. I have three Pokémon here, inside these Poké Balls. You can have one; go ahead and choose!”

_Uh…_

“Gramps! What about me?”

“Be patient, Blue; you can have one too!”

Blue looked to his grandfather, as Red stood still for a moment, unsure how to proceed. Then, Red sheepishly pulled up to the table, and started examining the pictures and information about each Pokémon beside their corresponding Poké Balls.

_Are you kidding me? I was here first! He wasn’t even on time! And neither were you, and you’re just going to make me wait for him?_

Blue tightened his fists, and tried to distract himself by looking over the laboratory. He’d been here enough times before where there wasn't much he hadn’t already stared at for hours in boredom, but he could also hear the researchers taking notes and quietly debating about something in the corner. The Pokémon restoration apparatus behind him was beeping softly; Gramps always told him to stay away from it, as he “could never afford to replace it.” Blue’s scowl didn’t fade much.

Red eventually picked up one of the balls, and the corresponding information sheet. As soon as he had backed away from the table, Blue stomped over and glanced it over.

_Charmander’s not here._

Blue stopped thinking for a bit, and just stood there, stewing. The professor looked up from his journal that he’d been browsing through, including his notes from that morning, and perked up.

“Oh, Red! Since you are looking to become a Pokémon master trainer, you should start by battling with Blue! It’ll be a great way to get some experience under your belt, and get to know your new Pokémon.”

_I haven’t even chosen one yet, and you’re already volunteering me to train him?!_

“Fine! I’ll give you a battle!”

Blue grabbed the closest of the two Poké Balls, and threw it at the floor in front of him, as Red carefully tossed his. Both balls bounced away, though at different speeds, and Charmander and Squirtle appeared before them.

_This is the first time that any of the four of us have battled. Oh, and apparently I chose Squirtle. Shit._

Blue realized all of this, and then dismissed it. He’d seen enough battles on tv that it shouldn’t matter. He wasn't going to lose.

“Uh, Squirtle?”

The little, light blue turtle looked around, trying to find where the sound had come from. It noticed Blue on the third attempt. Blue nodded appreciatively.

“Squirtle, use Bubble Beam!”

Squirtle stood up straight, but then slouched back down and turned around again to look at Blue.

_It almost looks… confused? Why would it be… Oh shit I’m an idiot. Can it even learn Bubble Beam? I should’ve studied Squirtle’s moveset better! What does it learn?_

“Squirtle, use Water Pulse!”

Squirtle turned around again.

_No, it definitely learns Water Pulse! I remember seeing it on one of those kids’ shows I used to watch when I was younger. Maybe, it doesn’t know it yet?_

Blue looked up, and saw Red making hand motions to his Charmander. He squinted suspiciously.

_What is he doing? He looks so stupid, waving his fingers like that! Charmander’s more confused than Squirtle is!_

Suddenly, Charmander’s demeanor changed, like it had figured out what to do. It turned around, and walked quickly toward Blue’s Squirtle, which it Scratched into with its short claws. Blue was stunned for a second, and Red jumped up and down excitedly for a few moments, before Blue got his act back together, and Charmander turned back toward Red.

“Squirtle, use Tackle while it’s turned away from you!”

Squirtle seemed to understand this command, and quickly rammed the Charmander in the back at an angle, knocking it down and sending it skidding forward. It cried out softly as it hit the ground.

Red started making hand motions, looking like he was trying to pick something up, and Charmander started to struggle up.

“Squirtle, don’t let it get up! Use Tackle again!”

Red visibly panicked as Squirtle lined up for another attack, and quickly pointed in a direction with his fingers a few times in succession. Charmander responded just in time to dodge the Tackle, and Squirtle toppled over as its attack missed.

“Get up Squirtle! Don’t let him get away!”

Blue saw that Red was making some gesture with his hands by his face, when Charmander started Growling at Squirtle. 

_He’s lowering my physical attack!_

“He’s trying to drag out the match! Don’t let him! Tackle that stupid lizard!”

Squirtle got up and lunged again, but Charmander was ready this time, and successfully dodged the attack. The orange lizard Growled at Squirtle once more.

“Get it! Knock it down again!”

This time, Squirtle hit, but Charmander clearly suffered less damage than last time, and tried to Scratch Squirtle back.

“Dodge it!”

Squirtle wasn’t fast enough though, and his failed dodge only made the attack hit in a more vulnerable area than normal- right across the left side of its face. Blood trickled from the crooked gash in its cheek, as it lay on its side on the tile.

_Shit! That was a critical hit! Where the hell is his luck coming from?!_

“Squirtle, get back up! Tackle the shit out of it!”

Squirtle was slowing from the damage it’d taken though, and it didn’t take long before Charmander landed one last Scratch to finish the match. Blue angrily withdrew Squirtle back to its Poké Ball leaving behind small red stains on the floor. He stared daggers at Red, who looked less than enthusiastic about the whole situation.

“Why Charmander?! You knew he was the Pokémon I wanted the most, didn’t you!”

Red didn’t say anything, of course. He was just playing with his jacket and hat, and completely ignoring Blue. Then he pointed at the Poké Ball holding the stupid fire lizard.

_I don’t know why I’m surprised. He’s as infuriating as always!_

“Ugh, you’re just a waste of my time! You all are! I’m just going to have to make this Squirtle battle until it actually learns some Water moves, then I’ll kick the shit out of your Charmander!”

Blue threw his hands up angrily, as he marched furiously out the door. “Smell you later! Won’t be hard with your stench!”

He stormed out into the bright morning day, and headed straight back the way he had come. He didn’t realize until he saw his sister reading at the table.

_I left my bags at the lab. Why do I have to go back there again?! I’m such an idiot!!_

_“Uaahhhh!!”_

His grunt of frustration got Daisy’s attention, and she looked up at Blue.

“Oh, I’m glad you came back, Blue! You forgot your map here! I have one for your friend too, if you want to bring it to him?”

Blue just looked down at the two maps, then at Daisy, and headed up the stairs.

_I am so done with today._

This time, he actually managed to sleep a little.

* * *

An hour or three later, and Blue was up again.

_But this time, I actually managed to sleep._

He tried to stifle a yawn, and wiped his eyes clean. As Blue stood up, he briefly tried to fix his wrinkled clothing and messed up bed, then headed downstairs.

“Thanks for the map, Daisy. Hopefully I’m gone for good this time.”

“Hold on, Blue! I forgot one more thing!”

Daisy ran over, and hugged him as he bristled up, but then relaxed and hugged her back.

“I love you, little brother. Stay safe, okay?”

Blue snickered. “Of course I will! I’m going to catch every type of Pokémon, you’ll see!”

“I know you will, Blue.” He avoided meeting her eyes, but still noticed her warm smile. He blushed a little, but nodded.

“Bye, Daisy.”

* * *

This time when he entered his grandfather’s Pokémon lab, he was actually the last one there.

_Or, maybe they never left?_

Blue shrugged, and walked forward.

“Gramps!”

Blue saw that his grandfather was holding a package with something vaguely round inside it, and noticed Red standing perhaps a little more confidently nearby.

“I forgot my bags. What did I miss?”

“Oh right, I have a request of you two. On the desk there is my invention, the Pokédex!”

Blue missed most of the explanation, zoning out when his grandfather started hopping around with his favorite red toy.

_I’ve heard it all before anyway. It's why I’m here._

“...Red, take these with you!”

Gramps handed a Pokédex over to Red, who looked intimidated but also curious. Blue walked over and picked the other one off the table. He already knew how it worked, basically.

“To make a complete guide on all the Pokémon in the world- that was my dream! I’m too old; I can’t do it. But I want you to fulfill my dream for me!”

Blue was looking away, but he expected that he’d already been dismissed. This was for Red’s sake, not his.

Blue walked over to his bags, and tried not to lose his balance as he picked them up. Walking by his grandfather finishing his spiel about fulfilling his dreams, he grunted.

“Alright Gramps; just leave it all to me.”

Blue stopped next to Red.

“Red, I hate to say it, but I don’t need you. I’ll take care of completing the Pokédex. You just worry about your championship or whatever.”

_It’s not your job; it’s mine._

He looked back as he started walking out the door.

“Oh, and Daisy said she had a Town Map you could borrow from her. I told her not to bother, but whatever.”

Blue didn’t wait to see Red or Gramps’ reaction, but he did feel a certain amount of relief as he stepped back out into the sunlight. He closed his eyes for a moment, then donned a confident smile and marched out toward the north side of town, where his journey could finally begin.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Blue's Party:  
>  **Squirtle**  
>  Ability: Unknown  
> Moves: Tackle, Unknown, Unknown
> 
> Red's Party:  
>  **Charmander**  
>  Ability: Blaze or Solar Power?  
> Moves: Scratch, Growl, Ember


	3. Route 1

Blue stood just past the initial patch of grass, looking out at the road ahead of him.

_What do I do now? Should I train Squirtle, or should I start catching new Pokémon?_

Blue looked down to his belt, and detached the lone ball containing his new Pokémon.

_Wait, is it still fainted? I was able to rest at home, but Squirtle was trapped in this ball. Maybe it has revived?_

Blue tossed the ball out, unsure of what to expect. The small tortoise appeared in a bright flash of red. Blue quickly grabbed the ball before it could roll away, and took a look at the creature in front of him.

Squirtle was conscious, but clearly unsteady. Blue could actually still see the marks across its face and belly shell, where Charmander's claws had hit hardest. His rest must have given it a chance to wake back up, but a nap was hardly a Max Revive.

_A single Quick Attack might be enough to take it out right now. I don’t think I can realistically battle._

Blue quietly recalled his Pokémon, and started forward, careful to avoid drawing attention. He’d been on Route 1 several times before, on the way to Viridian City with his grandfather, and knew to tread quietly and carefully through the tall grass.

Blue focused on the task ahead of him, sneaking around the Pidgey gently gliding and flapping in the air, and staying away from any bustling he saw.

_Pidgey and Rattata can both learn Quick Attack, and probably at lower levels. Squirtle didn’t seem all that fast during the battle with Charmander, so even a Pokémon without it might be able to knock him out before we could get away._

_How much of a failure am I as a trainer already? I should have asked Gramps to use the healing station in the lab. No, I can do this without him._

_I can’t believe this is how I’m starting my adventure._

Thankfully, he wasn't really seeing any other trainers on his way.

_There probably aren’t that many trainers that would bother with Pokémon like these. There have got to be better places to train._

* * *

Maybe an hour and a half later, he was walking along a line of trees when he came upon a retaining wall about his height. He considered climbing it, but decided it wasn't worth risking damage to his jeans.

_I only have three pairs of pants now, after all._

Blue followed the wall to a small set of stairs made of wood and dirt, and made his way to yet another patch of grass, where he could clearly see a flock of Pidgey chirping and searching for worms or something. Blue hid behind a nearby tree, and looked out through the branches. He took a minute to backtrack, but the ledges nearby were impassable, and he doesn't think he could get through trees that densely packed together.

_I'm going to need to make a break for it, aren't I? This is definitely not according to plan!_

He took a deep breath, accepted his fate, and dashed out from the brush.

Blue entered the grass and immediately jumped over what looks like a sleeping purple furball. He heard the chirping escalate and looked up, seeing a bunch of Pidgey rising into the air. He immediately ducked and ran forward covering his head, but tripped over something. Another rat Pokémon yelped behind him, as if he'd just kicked it, and Blue flinched, then scrambled to his feet.

"Shit! Sorry!"

_Don't apologize- run!_

He started sprinting again as Pidgeys began to dive bomb at him. He managed to swat one out of the air with his hand, but another Tackled him in the shoulder, and a third wooshed right in front of his face. He ran across several that are kicking up dirt at him, trying to blind him with Sand Attack. He covered his eyes and ran forward, ignoring the shrieking all around him.

Blue was forced to open his eyes again and saw the dirt path in front of him, but when he looked back he had the terrifying sight of a full flock of Pidgey flying straight at him. He made a hard turn and climbed up another set of stairs, but the Pidgeys weren’t hindered by a low retaining barrier; they had wings.

His panting was getting heavy, and he didn’t know how far he has to go.

_It doesn't matter. Keep running!_

Another patch of grass, and he wasn't even looking around anymore, or even trying to dodge the Pokémon. He heard squeals and wails as he ran over rocks and uneven terrain, hoping he wasn't running over the Pokémon themselves hiding in the tall grass. Rattata might be annoying, but he didn’t want to crush their tails. He realized that the sound of the flock behind him was even harsher than before, and he could tell it was getting closer.

Blue stumbled through a field of flowers, trying not to sneeze, before he heard the telltale “pika!” that warned him to change course.

_I am not getting electrocuted today, thank you!_

His legs were just getting ready to give out, when he almost missed the last turn to the right, skidding to a harsh stop and braking by skidding his hand against the dirt and gravel. Blue grimaced, but he could see the building at the end of the route, surrounded by a copse of trees. He slammed the door shut behind him and heard several loud thwacks and a lot of squawking before it all seemed to die down, and he could finally breathe again.

_Am I safe now?_

Blue took a moment to catch his breath, and started to look himself over. His right hand was bleeding and had a lot of ripped up skin, but the knees of his jeans only had a little bit of dirt on them. He fought the urge to wipe his hand on his pants. He had managed to keep a hold of all his bags at least, and Squirtle was still safely on his belt.

_I know I have bandages in my bag, but I should probably wash this out first. It probably makes sense to use the Pokémon Center’s facilities, and save my water and bandages for later, if I can._

Blue nodded to himself, and stood up straight again, adopting his confident demeanor once more.

“Alright, Squirtle, let’s go heal up.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Blue's Party:  
>  **Squirtle**  
>  Ability: Unknown  
> Moves: Tackle, Unknown, Unknown
> 
> **Himself**  
>  Ability: Run Away  
> Moves: Swagger, Rest, Stomp, Smack Down


	4. Viridian City

“Welcome to Viridian City! The Evergreen Paradise”

Or, at least that was what the sign that Blue had found further down the path had said. As he turned round the last corner, he was finally able to get a good view of the city, and compared to Pallet Town, it was big. Maybe, three or four times as large area-wise, but many of the buildings were also taller. In Pallet Town, there were no buildings taller than two stories, and his grandfather’s lab had been the largest by far. Blue remembered his last visit to Viridian, maybe two years ago, and the amazement he’d had at the scale and bustle of the place.

He would not be that immature child again.

From his vantage point on top of the hill, he could pick out a couple of unique buildings, but most notably one with a red roof, on his side of the city.

_That one has to be the Pokémon Center, right? And that blue roof, further into the city is probably the Poké Mart. I definitely need to go there too. And the gym?_

Gramps had shown Blue the Viridian Gym in person on that trip, but that had been close up, not from the edge of Route 1. None of the buildings looked quite right, so he made a mental note to ask around when he had time. Of course, he wasn’t going to be visiting it anytime soon, since everyone knew the gym leader had been absent for months, maybe years.

Blue picked up his bags again, and started the short hike to the city proper.

* * *

Viridian City was pretty, but in a different way from Pallet Town, with its rolling fields covered in grain or roamed by livestock. Viridian was far greener, not just surrounded by forest, but with small trees along the roads and between houses as well. Those houses often had small gardens, but Blue couldn’t really figure out what the average resident here did with their time, since there were no farms or anything.

Further in, houses were closer together, and he soon found the Pokémon Center, the first of a series of shops along what seemed to be the main road. There were a few residents roaming the street with cloth bags in their hands, but it was mostly quiet and calm in the early summer sunlight. His stomach rumbled a bit, but taking care of his wound and his Pokémon came first, so he opened the glass door with his uninjured left hand, and strode in.

The scene inside was busier, though the center wasn’t anywhere near full.

Three trainers were standing around near the entrance, and he could hear them talking about a Pokémon battle. One of them was holding a Rattata in their arms, and petting it softly.

To the right were several low glass tables, with cushion seating at some, and padded chairs at others. A few of the tables were occupied, with a pair of kids at one playing with what looked like the newest set of Pokémon cards.

Past the tables, he saw a series of maps on the wall, one showing the local area around Viridian City in depth, another showing all of Kanto, like the map his sister had given him, and the last a rough depiction of Kanto and the regions around it.

On the other side of the room was a staircase to the second floor, with a water fountain behind it. To the right was a pair of gender neutral restrooms. There was also a sign indicating that Pokémon should not be using the bathroom facilities.

_Well, duh…_

And directly across from Blue was a large counter behind which a girl in a white uniform stood, who was assisting an older gentleman who was leaning on the counter instead of his cane. Some plastic flowers decorated the countertop, and there was a winding but empty queue set up before it. There was also a second, shorter queue with a sign that read “Emergency Only” that was off-center, next to the first one. Along the sides, Blue could see a small bookcase of various pamphlets and purchasable guidebooks, and a large computer with the same sort of tubes for Poké Ball transfer that he recognized from his grandfather’s lab.

Blue moved to stand in line, telling himself to be patient until the old man had finished, and the nurse behind the counter called him up.

“Good afternoon! How can I help you today?”

“My Squirtle was knocked out. Could you restore its health for me?”

“Of course! Here are some forms to fill out, and I’ll need to see your ID or trainer certification, and of course the Pokémon and their Poké Ball.”

Blue squirmed nervously. _I haven’t done anything wrong, have I? I know I lost the battle, which is of course embarrassing, but did I wait too long to heal Squirtle?_

“Oh, don’t worry; you’re not in trouble! We just need to catalog the Pokémon services we provide for business purposes, and to make sure no one is abusing or neglecting their Pokémon. Your Squirtle is safe with us!”

Blue nodded, and placed Squirtle’s ball on the counter, which the nurse carried over to an examination table and activated. Blue dug through his wallet for his certification, as Squirtle appeared on the table.

“Hello, there! I’m just going to examine you briefly to check how I can help, alright?”

Blue filled out the form, gritting his teeth and watching Squirtle out of the corner of his eye.

_Name: Blue Oak._

_Date: June 1st_

_Pokémon here for treatment: Squirtle_

_No nickname…_

_Reason for visit: Trainer battle_

There was room on the form for additional Pokémon as well, but Blue of course had just the one. For now, at least.

He looked up as the nurse returned to the counter, with Squirtle’s ball.

“Alright, so Squirtle only has a few bruises and a couple cuts. He’s lost a lot of health, but it won’t take us too long to treat him. Here is your ticket; we will call you up when he’s ready to go in a few minutes.”

Blue slid the form toward her, and nodded abashedly.

“Thank you, nurse, uh…”

He looked at her nametag.

“Nurse Joy. Is there any chance I could get some first aid for myself as well? I fell on Route 1, and could use some help cleaning my hand…”

He held out his hand, which was hurting even more due to having to write with it.

“Oh, you should have said something! Here, let me set Squirtle up for restoration, and then I’ll grab some antiseptic and bandages.”

* * *

His name still hadn’t been called by the time his hand had been cleaned and wrapped, but he could see the estimated time until treatment was completed on the screen behind the counter. Blue took the chance to refill his canteen, then took a look at the Viridian City map.

He needed to find something to eat, buy supplies at the Poké Mart, and eventually he would need to find a place to set up camp. If possible, Blue planned to train Squirtle while it was still light out as well. The Poké Mart was close, and he could see the gym on the map as well; it was apparently in a large clearing just outside the dense part of the city, close to Route 2.

_I also need to catch a Rattata and a Pidgey for the Pokédex, so maybe it makes sense to go back to Route 1 after I’ve bought supplies. There were plenty of breaks along the trail that weren’t too close to tall grass or the trees, where I could set up a small fire perhaps._

_Squirtle has gained basically no battle experience, while Red has probably already started training that Charmander. I’m so far behind!_

“Number 01-17?”

Blue stood up from the table he’d been pondering at, and walked back to the counter, where Nurse Joy had set up Squirtle’s Poké Ball in a plastic tray.

“Have a nice day! We hope to see you again!”

Blue nodded, and reattached the ball to his belt.

“Hopefully not too soon though!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Blue's Party:  
>  **Squirtle**  
>  Ability: Unknown  
> Moves: Tackle, Unknown, Unknown


	5. Route 1, Part 2

It was late afternoon by the time Blue returned to Route 1, his bag heavy on his shoulders. He had thought it wouldn’t be too hard to carry it all, since he’d been used to carrying textbooks to school, but he’d underestimated the task.

He didn’t want to camp right next to the security building, so that he wouldn’t disturbed by late night travelers, but close enough that he could get there in case of trouble. He walked for about ten or fifteen minutes, and found a nice open area where he could set up a campfire without starting a forest fire.

Blue set down his bag, and called out Squirtle from his Poké Ball. The light blue reptile popped out in a stream of bright light in front of him.

_“Squirt, squirt!”_

It seemed happy to see him, and jumped up and down a couple times excitedly.

“Hi Squirtle. I need your help setting up camp. We need sticks for a fire.”

Blue looked at the curious turtle, which was wagging its tail.

_It seems like it wants to help? I don’t speak turtle._

He walked away, indicating that Squirtle should follow. He started picking up some larger branches from just inside the treeline, and Squirtle jumped in, picking up twigs that were small enough for it to carry.

In a few minutes, they had enough wood and kindling for a small fire, which should suffice for the night. He was tired, and didn’t plan to stay up late.

They dumped the wood near his bags, and Blue got out his collapsible tent. He walked around, searching for the flattest portion of ground nearby, and started pulling it together. Before he had noticed, Squirtle had managed to pick up one of the stakes, and brought it to the pile of sticks.

“Squirtle! That’s not for a fire! It’s part of the tent!”

He walked over and brought the stake back, quickly pounding it into the ground to hold up the pole. Unfortunately, his small burst of frustration seemed to have scared the Pokémon.

“Oh, come on. I’m almost done.”

When he had finished propping up the tent, he unzipped it and pointed inside.

“Go take a look, Squirtle.”

It didn’t respond, and gave him a distrustful look.

“Really? Alright, I’ll go in first.”

Blue entered, then called Squirtle again. This time, it seemed more willing, or maybe it just understood him this time, as it followed him in. Blue laid out his sleeping bag, which Squirtle eagerly climbed onto and rolled around on, apparently enjoying the feel of the cool material. Blue smiled despite himself, and then led Squirtle back outside the tent, zipping it after him.

“We need to keep the bugs out, but we can go in later when it’s bedtime, alright?”

Squirtle looked up at him expectantly.

“Alright, let’s set up the fire and heat up dinner. You’re probably hungry too, right?”

* * *

After setting up a small fire with his flint, Blue opened and heated up a can of beans, which he shared with Squirtle, and a bag of jerky, which he didn’t.

_Squirtle doesn’t seem to be a carnivore, which should save me some money in the long run, at least._

It looked like Squirtle didn't know what to do with the beans, but when Blue fed him with his spoon, it appeared to enjoy them well enough. He was pretty sure it was happy, because it seemed to be smiling and had wagged…

_It wagged its tail._

“Squirtle, you know Tail Whip!”

Squirtle cheerfully wagged its tail at the command, and Blue felt perhaps a little too proud of himself.

_It’s a new move though, and I figured it out on my own._

He drank from his canteen, and shared it with Squirtle by pouring some into a small dish he had somehow had the foresight to bring.

Contrary to popular schoolyard belief, Water-type couldn’t just generate infinite amounts of water whenever they like; most stored water in organs inside themselves, which they gradually needed to replenish. They could often last longer than other Pokémon without water, if they had been given access to enough to fill their storage ahead of time. Oh, and drinking their water was generally not a good idea.

_Unless you want to risk some sort of bacterial infection, or maybe developing a Pokémon-based parasite in your gut._

Most of this he had learned just this year before graduating 5th grade, but those last details he had overheard in his grandfather’s lab.

“Apparently, there are some benefits to that relationship after all, eh Squirtle?”

Blue didn’t continue feeding the fire, so when he and Squirtle finished up, and he had rinsed out his can so that it hopefully wouldn’t draw other Pokémon, it was close to going out. He was surprised by how much the turtle enjoyed cuddling in his lap, but he didn’t forbid it.

_It’s kind of… nice, having someone who wants to be here with me like this._

Blue picked up Squirtle, and brought it to his tent, laying it on the sleeping bag for a moment while he repacked his supplies into his backpack, which he then brought with him into the tent. He carefully worked around Squirtle in the dark, and slipped into the sleeping bag with his new partner.

* * *

When Blue woke up the next morning, he was sore all over, thirsty, and desperately needed to pee. Squirtle, on the other hand, was super excited and ready to play.

_Do Pokémon ever need to pee? They must, right? Wait, is Squirtle house-trained?_

Blue had never had a house pet or Pokémon growing up, but knew enough to not want turtle shit all over his tent. He made a quick check to confirm Squirtle had kept the place clean, then promptly put on pants. He picked up Squirtle, unzipped the tent and cautiously jogged to the edge of the woods, wary of both Pokémon and people.

_I should be relatively alone here, right? And where is Red? Could he have stayed at his house last night, to save money, or maybe for the convenience?_

He put Squirtle down.

“Hey Squirtle, stay here, alright? Or you can go to the bathroom, you know, if you do that kind of thing…”

As Blue started peeing at a tree, he looked around carefully.

_No Pokémon in the immediate vicinity. I don’t see anything above me. Oh, Squirtles do pee!_

After Blue finished up, he picked up Squirtle carefully, trying to avoid any Poké Urine, then jogged back to his little camp. He could’ve washed his hands, but it seemed like a waste of water.

_I’m just going to get dirtier from this point on anyway…_

_Wait, should I have bought toilet paper? Probably. Alright, focus! Let’s go over what I did buy yesterday._

Blue went back into the tent with the little turtle, folded his sleeping bag into a cushion, and laid out the newly purchased contents of his bag on the tarp floor.

He had grabbed a couple cans of food off the shelf, mainly vegetables and legumes.

_I don’t love them, but I’ll need the nutrients, and fresh produce is too hard to keep._

There were also a bunch of protein bars, a small jar of peanut butter, some jerky, and trail mix with nuts and dried fruit. He hadn’t figured out a way to keep eating dairy products while camping yet, but he had most of the food groups represented, and with calorie dense options.

_Who says you don’t learn anything useful in school?_

He grabbed a protein bar for himself, and placed a small handful of trail mix into Squirtle’s bowl, before returning the rest of the uncanned food to the metal container he had brought, which should hopefully keep too many animals or Pokémon from smelling it. All of the food then went back into his bag.

_Alright, during my next trip into the city, I should get some more small bowls, so I can feed any Pokémon I catch._

He drank some water, and poured some into his hand for Squirtle, who then went back to nibbling on some fruit.

_And another larger one for them all to drink from, maybe? I’m also going to need another canteen, because this won’t last long._

He frowned.

“Squirtle, I can’t reasonably carry all of this around with me all the time. I don’t want to leave it in the tent in the open, but I think I might have to when we go out training or looking for Pokémon. Maybe I should carry the battle supplies in a different bag that I can take with me all the time?”

Squirtle gave him an inquisitive look.

“I don’t know if you understand all of this, but at least I’m not talking to myself.”

_Uh, how often am I going to get to talk to other people? Maybe a loner trip wasn’t the best plan for a social guy like me._

“Alright, let’s look at the rest of it.”

Still laid out were the few items that the Poké Mart would sell to a trainer like him, one without any badges. He had bought fifteen Poké Balls; it was a lot of money, but he knew he would need them eventually, and he did have a lot of money from his grandfather. The professor had said that he could call if he needed more money, but he didn’t seem to actually like the idea, and Blue hated relying on his grandfather.

He’d also bought ten potions, and one each of the general Antidotes, temporary Paralysis Heals and mild Burn Heals that they’d had available. Blue didn’t know if he’d encounter any status conditions, but it was better to be safe than sorry, and have to run through flocks of Pidgey again. He had wanted to buy an Awakening and a thawing Ice Heal (or even just a couple Full Heals, which would be a lighter weight option overall), but they refused to sell him any for some reason. They also wouldn’t let him buy Revives.

Blue returned half the potions and a third of the Poké Balls to his backpack, then placed the rest in the cloth shopping bag that the market had forced him to take. At least he could use that as a battle bag until he found something better.

_It’s not the most elegant solution, but it will have to do. Hmm, are we going to be gone a while?_

Blue added another protein bar and his canteen to the bag. After that, he confirmed that Squirtle had finished his breakfast, then put the dish to the side and picked up Squirtle.

“You ready to battle?”

Blue grinned excitedly.

* * *

“Alright, Squirtle, use Tail Whip!”

The watch on Blue’s left wrist indicated that it had taken almost an hour to find this single, isolated Pidgey. It appeared that most Pidgey gathered in flocks, and if they could hurt Blue, he’d hate to see what a whole flock would do to Squirtle.

_It kind of seems like the Pidgey is paying attention? Does Tail Whip lower the target’s physical defense, if the target doesn’t notice that it happened?_

Squirtle looked back at Blue, as if unsure how to proceed.

_I know the feeling._

“Okay, try a Tackle!”

Squirtle jumped forward and rammed the Pidgey in the side. The little bird skidded onto the path from the grass that they’d found it in, and squawked. It made a harsh sound, like it was surprised and in pain.

The Pidgey turned toward Squirtle, puffed out its chest like it was trying to intimidate it, then suddenly flew straight at it like a baseball. Blue wasn’t even able to call for a dodge before Squirtle took the blow to the chest, forcing it onto its back.

“Come on Squirtle! I know it’s fast, but you can take it. Use Tackle!”

Squirtle’s arms and legs floundered in the air, and it seemed unable to right itself. The Pidgey got back up and turned toward it again, as if it noticed that its attacker was vulnerable.

“Shit! Stupid Pidgey!”

Blue ran forward, and as his shadow covered the tiny flying rodent, it seemed to realize that Blue was the real threat. It immediately took flight and bolted, crying out and headed south above the trees.

“Squirtle, are you alright?”

Blue bent over his reptilian companion, and helped him get upright again. Squirtle then gave a weird face, almost like it was ashamed.

“Hey, we don’t do embarrassment here. I don't like mistakes either, but they happen, so we learn from them and move on.”

Squirtle hesitantly nodded.

“Good. We should practice before we start another fight. But let’s move to the shade first; I didn’t apply sunscreen this morning.”

* * *

“Tail Whip!”

Squirtle wagged its tail at the stump they had found near the treeline.

“Good, now Tackle!”

Squirtle rammed into the side of the stump, from the left side this time. They had been practicing using its less preferred shoulder, since the target wouldn’t always be properly positioned.

“Great! Move back!”

Squirtle quickly retreated a few body lengths.

“Good distance, but you got to try to keep an eye on the enemy! We can’t show them our backs!”

_“Squirtle!”_

“Dodge left!”

That last command was sudden and urgent, as if reacting to unseen danger. Squirtle rolled to the left.

“Nice! Alright, that was perfect. How do you feel?”

_“Squiiiirtle!”_

“You're doing great. Let’s take a break for lunch!”

Blue sat down on their practice stump and found his protein bar, and Squirtle ran over, he lifted it into his lap. They shared the bar while Blue looked out onto the path of Route 1.

_I wonder what other types of Pokémon are out here?_

_“Tatatat!”_

“Woah!”

Blue freaked out at hearing the rat Pokémon so close, and accidentally stood up, tossing Squirtle into the air.

“Squirtle! Shit! Are you alright?”

Squirtle must have been an acrobat though, because it pulled into his shell, then did a half handstand into a cartwheel and landed on his feet.

_Wow. I wish I could do that._

_“Squirt!”_

Blue focused himself on the Rattata. He had never had a chance to see one this close. It was a bit fatter than he'd expected, but otherwise it had the normal, bright purple coat of fur and big teeth he had expected.

_If I ever saw a real rat this size though, I’d be very grossed out._

“Squirtle, use Tail Whip!”

The Rattata scurried toward where Blue had been sitting a moment before, nibbling at the ground as if looking for crumbs.

“Squirtle, Tackle! But aim away from the stump!”

Squirtle charged forward and lunged at the purple rat, but not directly toward the stump. The Rattata noticed at the last second, but dodged into the attack due to its angle.

“Perfect! Tackle it again while it’s down!”

As Squirtle rammed it again, Blue quickly searched for a Poké Ball from his bag, and then threw it at the rat as it hit the ground again. He missed.

“Shit! Squirtle, don’t let it get away! Get around it!”

Blue dug through and found another ball, and looked up to see that Squirtle hadn’t followed the command.

_Probably didn’t understand it…_

The Rattata wasn’t trying to run away yet though, and moved too fast for him to see. Squirtle fell down, and Blue realized that it must have been a Quick Attack.

“One last Tackle, Squirtle!”

As Squirtle charged in for the attack, the Rattata dodged at the last second, avoiding the strike. However, that was what Blue had been waiting for, and he threw a second Poké Ball. This time, it hit, and the ball bounced off the rat and into the air, where that signature bright red light enveloped the Rattata and seemed to suck it inside.

The ball landed, and he and Squirtle watched it intently. It wiggled once, then twice, then stopped.

“Did we catch it?”

_“Squirtle!”_

“I think we did it, Squirtle!”

The two of them celebrated for a bit, then finished their lunch.

* * *

“Squirtle, are you ready to meet the newest member of the party?”

_“Squirt!”_

“Haha, alright. Let’s see what we’ve got.”

Blue threw the new Poké Ball, and Rattata appeared before them. It squeaked as if it were scared, and hid behind the practice stump. Blue scratched his head.

“Rattata? You don’t have to hide. We’re not going to hurt you. Well, we’re not going to hurt you again. Are you alright?”

Blue could see Rattata’s head peeking around the old wood, and it squeaked again.

“Squirtle, here let me give you a Potion. Maybe it will see that I’m trying to heal it.”

Blue took out one of his Potions, broke the seal, and angled the nozzle at the worst of the bruises on Squirtle.

_I don’t think he looks too bad, but I also don’t think I can trust my judgment yet._

He sprayed the three visible bruises on Squirtle’s front, then covered its eyes, and sprayed the one on its cheek.

“How do you feel? Did I miss a spot? What still hurts?”

Squirtle turned around, and showed Blue that part of its tail was bruised from the battle. He sprayed it as well, but then ran out. Squirtle looked happy after that though, and slowly went up to Rattata, as if trying not to frighten it.

_Well, I assume that means that Squirtle is fine. Now we just need to help Rattata._

Rattata retreated further, but when Squirtle backed away, it moved forward again. 

“Squirtle, I’m going to return you to your Poké Ball for now, alright?”

After recalling Squirtle, Blue sat down and pulled out the wrapper from his protein bar. He crinkled it a little and slowly waved, luring Rattata in. He may have also softly cooed it forward…

Eventually, he was able to get Rattata close enough where it started nibbling on the wrapper, and he smiled. He slowly took out another potion and his canteen, and poured some water in his hand, which he offered to Rattata. Once it was lapping from Blue’s fingers, he felt confident enough to pet it, and then sprayed the potion on the bruises he saw.

By the time he was done, the pudgy little rat had climbed into his lap and was napping there softly.

That night, Squirtle and Rattata both joined Blue in his sleeping bag.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Blue's Party:  
>  **Squirtle**  
>  Ability: Unknown  
> Moves: Tackle, Tail Whip, Unknown, Unknown
> 
> **Rattata**  
>  Ability: Unknown  
> Moves: Unknown, Unknown, Quick Attack


	6. Route 1, Part 3

Blue woke up a little earlier this time, with the sun just above the treeline. And today, there _was_ shit in his tent.

“Alright, which one of you is responsible for this?”

Blue’s voice broke the cool morning air, previously filled only by the sound of bees and Pidgey. Both Squirtle and Rattata hid in the sleeping bag, cowering from the sudden outburst.

_Really? I wanted to take care of Pokémon for a living? Am I going to be a slave to rat and turtle shit for the rest of my life?_

_Yes, and no._

Blue assessed the situation; he didn’t have any cleaning supplies or anything he would use to pick up a mess around the house.

_I’m in a glorified forest clearing in a tent with two little shit monsters, a bag full of food and battle items, traveling gear and a sleeping bag. I need to pick the shit up first._

_No, I need to reassure my Pokémon first._

Blue carefully walked over, and uncovered Squirtle and Rattata. Squirtle was slouching down, and Rattata’s ears were quivering.

“Hey, I’m sorry I yelled. I shouldn’t have done that. It doesn’t matter which of you it was, you should both be able to go to the bathroom at night if you need to. I can leave the door flap slightly open at night, and cover it with cloth that you can move to get in and out. That way, you can go to the bathroom, and we won’t have any insects. Does that work?”

He didn’t know if his words did anything, but he hoped that his attempt at a reassuring voice would. That and petting them softly and appreciatively.

Blue opened the tent flap and brought them both out, then set them down just outside. He grabbed a couple large leaves, which he used to remove the majority of the poop, then wet his dirtiest sock with water from the canteen, and used it to wipe down the tent floor. It would have to do.

He daintily threw the dirty sock in the woods, then got out the trail mix, jar of peanut butter and food bowl. He filled the bowl with the nuts and fruit, then ate the peanut butter out of the jar with a plastic knife. Blue made sure to watch Squirtle and Rattata carefully, to make sure they would share the food properly.

_Oh, speaking of observing Pokémon…_

Blue went back and grabbed his Pokédex from the tent, then sat down with Squirtle and Rattata again. He turned it on, aimed the sensor camera toward Squirtle, then read the screen that followed:

_“Squirtle, the Tiny Turtle Pokémon. Number 007. Pure Water-type. Base stats: 44, 48, 50, 43, 64, 65.”_

He scrolled down past the picture and information.

_“Would you like to catalog a particular specimen?”_

_Gramps, are you asking me if I want to cut my Squirtle apart? It sounds like something he’d say, but I doubt that’s what he meant._

“Why not. Let’s try it, eh guys?”

Blue clicked yes.

_“Please hold the scanner directly in front of your specific Pokémon for 5 seconds.”_

“Squirtle, can you come here please?”

_“Processing…”_

Blue tapped his foot lightly, and Squirtle went back over to Rattata. Blue realized they had finished their food, and filled the bowl with the last of their water.

_“Would you like to give this Squirtle a nickname?”_

“No, thanks. He’s Squirtle until he tells me otherwise.”

_Did I just call Squirtle a ‘he’?_

“Woah!”

Just then, a new page popped up on his screen, showing an image of Squirtle as he was just now, as if he’d taken a photograph, but with this device.

_“Squirtle, Male. Ability: Rain Dish. Moves: Please Enter.”_

Blue tapped on “Please Enter”, and was surprised to see the Pokédex screen reorient to the side, as a tiny keyboard popped out. He took a second to enter what he’d figured out so far.

_“Moves: Tackle, Tail Whip”_

_“Save? Yes.”_

When Blue pressed the back button, he could see that the Squirtle species entry had been updated to include the entries he’d put for his specific Squirtle. There was also the option to add moves and abilities to the entry, without having to catch a "specimen".

He scanned Rattata next:

_“Rattata, the Mouse Pokémon. Number 019. Pure Normal-type. Base stats: 30, 56, 25, 72, 35, 35.”_

_“Rattata, Female. Ability: Guts. Moves: Quick Attack."_

“Haha, you did seem like quite the Gutsy mouse, didn’t you?”

Blue rubbed her under the chin, then behind the ear. She squeaked happily.

“Okay, you two. We have to make a quick trip back to Viridian to buy a second canteen and fill them both, and then we can get some training in before lunch.”

* * *

Blue made it back to his campsite an hour and a half later, and immediately let out his two Pokémon. He’d bought a little more than he’d anticipated, including a roll of toilet paper, a hanging pack that he could wear over the shoulder or around the waist, five more small food bowls, and one larger bowl for water. He hoped it would all still fit in his backpack later.

For now, he called Squirtle and Rattata over to get some water, and transferred his battle supplies, a snack and one canteen into the new carry bag. When they were all finished, Blue walked them over to the stump from the day before.

“We’re going to practice some more today. Rattata, this will be new for you, so Squirtle will show you how it’s done at first. Ready, Squirtle?”

_“Squirt!”_

“Good, use Tail Whip!”

“Now, Tackle.”

“Jump!”

“Back!”

“Tackle again!”

“Dodge right!”

“Tackle!”

During this last one, Blue watched with surprise as Rattata Tackled the stump as well.

“Good job Rattata! You too, Squirtle! If you hear a command you can do, try to do it. If you can’t, we’ll try to teach you how!”

“Jump!”

“Dodge left!”

“Tail Whip!”

This one Rattata was also able to do. Either Rattata was a fast learner, or had already known the moves.

“Back!”

“Jump!”

Rattata joined Squirtle this time too.

_Are they turning it into a competition? It’s like Squirtle is bragging that it can jump higher! Or maybe I’m just imagining it?_

“Quick Attack!”

Squirtle turned around to face Blue and definitely gave him a face. He ended up chuckling a little.

“It’s okay Squirtle, you guys don’t have all the same moves, so that one was for Rattata. Rattata, you did great!”

“Alright, Quick Attack again!”

This time, Squirtle shot water out of its mouth at the stump when Rattata used Quick Attack.

“Wait, Squirtle, was that Water Gun? Have you known that the whole time?”

Squirtle gave him a happy look.

_I am such an idiot. We could have been training so much faster with STAB!_

_I should have studied Squirtle's bio too; I knew everything to know about Charmander and Bulbasaur, since those were the Pokémon I considered as a starter. If I had been as familiar with Squirtle from the start...  
_

_We could have defeated Red in Gramps’ lab.  
_

The last fact dug deeper than Blue expected. Not only had he lost, but he lost when he had a super-effective STAB move, and entirely because of his own bravado.

_I'll just have to do better. I'll learn everything I can about every Pokémon I meet! But for now..._

“Guys, you’re doing great! Squirtle, you can use Water Gun, but wait for me to call for it, okay? Also, here, try to get it in this bowl, so you can reuse the water, alright? We can practice it more when we find a stream or pond.”

* * *

“Here, Pidgey Pidgey Pidgey…”

It didn’t take as long to find the first lone Pidgey today, for which Blue was grateful.

_I don’t want to fall behind Red. No, I need to be ahead of him!_

“Go, Rattata, Squirtle!”

He tossed both Poké Balls to the ground nearby, and his two Pokémon appeared before him. The Pidgey noticed, and puffed out its chest.

_Is this a common defensive behavior among Pidgey?_

The small bird instinctively aimed a Tackle at Rattata, as if it knew it had lower physical defense.

“Dodge right! Rattata, use Quick Attack, and get around it! Squirtle…”

Pidgey missed and then took the hit from the Quick Attack, but immediately started kicking up a Sand Attack.

“Dodge left! Nice, we have it surrounded. Rattata, Tail Whip! Squirtle, use Tackle!”

Thankfully, Rattata and Squirtle were usually able to pick up when he was talking to only one of them, but only if he used their names. When he spoke quickly, they often both did what he said.

_I’ll have to remember that._

Thanks to Rattata’s Tail Whip, Squirtle’s Tackle did extra damage to the Pidgey, which clearly looked dazed afterward when it hit the ground.

_Now! Throw a Poké Ball!_

It took too long for him to find the ball, and by then the Pidgey was already trying to get airborne.

“Water Gun!”

Squirtle managed to hit it just as it got into the air, and it fell back down. Blue threw the ball he’d retrieved a second later, and managed to hit the Pidgey before it got back up. The three of them stood there anxiously, until the ball came to a stop.

“We caught it! Nice job, you two!”

_“Squirt!”_

_“Raaattata!”_

_Alright, I need to make sure the Poké Balls are easily accessible from now on. Also, I’m not sure how I feel about using multiple Pokémon against one; it seems safer, but it’s harder to command more than one at once. I should probably stick to one at a time, so I am more prepared for battles with other trainers…_

* * *

_"Pidgey, the Tiny Bird Pokémon. Number 016. Normal Flying-type. Base stats: 40, 45, 35, 56, 35, 40."_

_“Pidgey, Male. Ability: Keen Eye. Moves: Tackle, Sand Attack."_

Blue looked over at the winged Pokémon. It was happily eating breakfast with Squirtle and Rattata.

Blue hadn’t let the Pidgey sleep in his tent last night; something felt weird about cuddling with a bird, and he was concerned that it wouldn’t be able to get in and out to go to the bathroom. He had healed Pidgey with a Potion, and then left him in his Poké Ball until morning. Blue was being sparing with his Potion use, but the bird had needed it after yesterday’s battle.

When Blue had woken up that morning, he’d first looked around for poop, and then had checked the shirt he’d left by the tent flap. The dirty clothing looked like it had actually been moved and then replaced; it still gave him the oddest feeling of pride thinking about it.

For now, Blue sat on the small ledge that this offshoot path ended at, not too far from the campsite. He munched on a protein bar, and considered his to do list:

_We have to train after breakfast of course, but I’d like to look around and see if there aren’t any other Pokémon on this route after lunch. We’re running low on food, but we can make it to tomorrow morning before we have to go back to Viridian for supplies._

Blue took out the sunscreen that he’d pocketed earlier, and started to apply it to his face, neck and arms. He expected they’d be out in the sun a lot today.

_I think tomorrow is a good day to head toward a new route anyway; I don’t think Squirtle and Rattata are getting very much experience from the low level Pokémon here. Also, is there any place for me to clean my clothes nearby? A stream, maybe?_

“I’m going to put everything away, and then we can get to it!”

_“Squirt!”_

* * *

The sun was halfway across the sky when Blue set off down Route 1, with Pidgey on his shoulder. Squirtle and Rattata were in their balls on his belt, since it would have been hard for them to keep pace for so long, and they were too awkward to carry in his arms the whole time. 

“Besides, you need some practice too, right Pidgey?”

_“Dgeooh!”_

Blue lightly petted the bird’s head, then started his walk south while hugging the eastern edge of the route.

_My goal is to battle any individual Pokémon I find, while simultaneously checking for any rarer Pokémon I might have missed on my way north. After that, I should be ready to move on from here._

In a few minutes, Blue found himself among a small field of flowers that he remembered from his frantic escape from the Pidgey flock. In fact, he thought he remembered something else too…

Blue carefully checked among the flowers, then a few yards into the woods nearby. He looked for any large holes in the ground or between tree roots, he searched nearby grass, and he watched for any errant sparks in the air.

_Nothing. Did I imagine that “pika!” three days ago?_

He shook his head, then looked to Pidgey.

“Do you see anything, boy? I’d ask you to fly up and look, but I think we need some more training first. That Keen Eye should be good for this though, right?”

Pidgey just looked at him and squawked.

“Yeah, that’s how I feel too. Let’s keep looking.”

Blue and Pidgey kept going, until Blue realized that there might be part of the route he hadn’t seen yet.

_That edge that I sat on this morning, from there I could see another set of stairs leading up a retaining wall. But the staircase I can see from here is on the wrong side…_

Blue followed the retaining wall to where it met some overgrown trees. He thought he could vaguely see it continuing beyond them.

“Pidgey, let’s go back to camp for a minute.”

* * *

Blue carefully crouched down on the ledge. From his vantage point, he couldn’t see much, but he could tell the drop wasn’t too bad. He put Pidgey down, then scooted himself off, landing in a three point stance using his uninjured hand.

Pidgey glided down to him, then fluttered in the air and landed on his shoulder again.

Blue could see that this portion of the route hadn’t been well traveled in years; the tree branches extended far onto the path and grass grew among the gravel. The staircase ahead was in bad shape, with itching ivy growing between cracks in the rocks, and all over the wall itself. He cautiously navigated the stairs, doing his best to avoid rubbing any part of his body, clothes or shoes against the vines.

_If I’m not doing laundry very often, I do not want that anywhere near my body._

The next section of the route forked, with one path leading further to the west. Curious, Blue followed it, entering a part of the forest where the trees grew together above him, like a natural trellis. Ivy, of both allergenic and benign varieties, hung woven between the branches and dangled down onto the path.

Blue recalled Pidgey to his Poké Ball, so he could be certain he wouldn’t fly into the vines, then crept forward, watching and listening to his surroundings.

_Yes, this is pretty, but a hidden away section of the forest sounds like exactly the place to find a rare Pokémon. Also, where to find a potentially dangerous Pokémon._

He eventually came to another clearing, where mossy rocks, twigs and old fallen leaves covered the ground. In the center, he found an old spindly tree, which had grown out in odd directions. From its branches hung strange green and pink berries, each like a misshapen hand with four pudgy fingers of different lengths fused together.

_These look familiar. I’m certain they are edible, though I don’t remember what variety they are._

Blue picked one of each color, then brought out Rattata.

“Hey Rattata, look at these.”

The purple mouse sniffed at both berries, then sat patiently in front of the pink one, as if waiting for permission.

“Haha, alright, here you go!”

While Rattata devoured the pink berry, Blue took a small bite of the green one, then spit it out immediately.

_Yuck! Wow, that was incredibly bitter._

He plucked another pink one, and tasted it. It was a strange mixture of sweet, sour and savory, and the aftertaste even had a bit of a kick. In fact, it was pretty much everything except bitter.

“I guess the green ones aren’t ripe yet.”

Blue grabbed the dozen or so pink berries that were low enough for him to reach, and put them in a separate section of his carry bag.

_I’m sure we could all use some fresh produce._

* * *

By the time the sun started setting, Blue had checked all the way down to Pallet Town, and halfway back again. He felt like he’d looked behind every single flower, and had probably double checked most of them. He’d also been able to find a few lone Pokémon, and each member of his party had been able to defeat their opponent in at least one 1:1 battle.

It had been a productive day. But it was also almost over.

_I’m not going to be able to get back before dark, am I?_

Blue left Pidgey on his shoulder for now; hopefully, his eyes would be better than Blue’s in the dark. Pidgey should be able to give decent warning if a Pokémon approached them.

He moved discreetly and deliberately, trying to stick to the path the best he could in the dimming light. Sounds of insects buzzing nearby percolated through the air, and he heard the cries of Pidgeys growing quiet and distant as they returned to their nests.

Blue tried his best to avoid patches of tall grass, but it was a struggle with the sun falling below the treeline. He moved more slowly when near or in the grass, listening carefully to avoid provoking any Rattata.

_I need to make sure I don’t stay out this late again; at least until my Pokémon are strong enough to defend against an attack on their own. I don’t think I would be able to give very good commands in a battle I can’t see._

As the last of the sunlight trickled away, Blue noticed the sound of crickets in the grass, and started to see small pinpricks of light among the trees, floating about. The wind blew softly every now and then, but the gentle breezes were starting to feel a little chilly without the sun’s warmth.

_The one day I wore my shorts. I wonder what Red is up to right now; I bet he’s not creeping around in the dark. What about Daisy? Is she in the kitchen, cooking up curry and rice for dinner, and eating by herself as Gramps works late again?_

Blue’s stomach grumbled. He patted Pidgey on the head again.

“Sorry, guys. Hopefully we can get back soon so we can eat. Dinner probably won’t be warm though, since I didn’t gather any wood today.”

Blue frowned.

_What am I doing, alone in the woods? I bet Cyan and Azure are playing with their Pokémon cards at home right now. Thyme is probably on the couch, entertaining her baby sister. Actually, all my friends should have their first Pokémon by now; they’re probably playing with them in their warm living rooms, surrounded by family._

Blue stopped on the path and held his arms to his chest.

_I don’t know if I can do this. It’s just too much for an 11 year old! How can they expect me to travel and survive on my own, nevermind catch and raise hundreds of Pokémon, or defeat eight elite gym leaders, or not go broke and starve to death?_

He held his hands to face, and fought back the tears.

_I’m still only an hour or two away from home, and I’m already a mess? Who am I kidding? I’m a horrible trainer._

Pidgey squawked quietly on his shoulder.

Blue sniffled and squeaked.

“Thanks, Pidgey. You’re right, I might not be an amazing trainer, but I’m not a horrible one. I have you three.”

_“Dgeooh!”_

_Huh? That didn’t sound reassuring._

Blue turned his head and looked at the little bird.

“Are you alright?”

_“Dgeoooahh!!”_

Blue finally heard it, and turned to face his left. He could barely make it out in the dark, a bristling shadow about two feet tall, just two or three yards away. It was accompanied by the sound of soft clawing, a light growl, and the gnashing of teeth together.

A Raticate had found them, and there was no chance he was getting away safely.

* * *

_Remember what Ms. Cooper said in first grade; most Pokémon won’t attack you unless defending themselves or their flock._

Blue held up his Pokédex toward the Raticate, and slowly backed away without turning away from it.

_"Raticate, the Mouse Pokémon. Number 020. Pure Normal-type. Base stats: 55, 81, 50, 97, 70, 60."_

_That’s 33% faster than Rattata, and almost twice as fast as Pidgey. I barely escaped a flock of those, so I can’t outrun a Raticate. I need to diffuse the situation; why is it angry?_

_“Unless defending themselves or their flock…” Maybe we battled one of its Rattata? Or maybe we’re just too close._

Raticate was following Blue, still growling and gnashing its teeth, and it was getting closer too. He was afraid to look over his shoulder, but he knew there would be a retaining wall behind him soon. He would be trapped if he couldn’t find the stairs.

_Keep it away from the grass; I need to be able to see it. Keep it away from the woods; it must not attract its… uh, flock?_

_“Dgeooh!”_

“I think you’re right, Pidgey; we aren’t getting away. It’s too intent on following us, and that behavior is aggressive.”

“Go, Squirtle, Rattata!”

Blue threw out his two other Poké Balls, on the other side of the Raticate. Squirtle off to the left, and Rattata to the right.

_We need to make this quick, but it’s obviously stronger than us. It has to be, if it’s already evolved. We need to weaken it and mitigate its attacks!_

“Sand Attack! Tail Whip!”

Pidgey opened its wings and glided to the ground while Rattata and Squirtle wagged their tails at the Raticate.

_Theoretically, this should lower its physical defense twice. At the very least, it won’t be able to see all three Pokémon at once. We should have an advantage._

Raticate closed its eyes and made a strange rhotic rumble, as if psyching itself up for battle.

_That’s probably Focus Energy. We need to be careful._

“Sand Attack! Squirtle, use Tail Whip! Quick Attack!”

Pidgey kicked sand at the Raticate again right as it opened its eyes, and it hissed, raising its claws and opening its mouth at Pidgey. Pidgey jumped back, frightened, as Squirtle wagged his tail and Rattata leapt at his older brethren.

_Scary Face? Pidgey is going to be slower now._

“Again!”

This time, Rattata and Squirtle finished before Pidgey, which took too long to get back into position. Raticate took advantage of this, and shot forward, opening its jaw wide.

“Up! Up, Pidgey, up!”

Pidgey wasn’t able to respond in time, and Raticate grabbed him by the leg with its teeth, pulling Pidgey from the air and slamming him down. The cry that Pidgey made was heart-wrenching, and Squirtle pulled back in fear.

“No!! Rattata, Quick Attack! Squirtle, use Tail Whip!”

Raticate turned around and made a Scary Face at Squirtle as well, obviously disrupting its focus further. Raticate basically ignored the attack from Rattata, and turned back toward Pidgey.

“No!”

Blue ran forward, and as the Raticate lunged with his teeth bared, he kicked the rat in the chest as hard as he could. The angry Pokémon popped a foot into the air, then skidded on the ground past Squirtle and Rattata. Blue fell awkwardly, but then crawled to Pidgey, which was squawking raggedly as blood flowed from its right leg. Tears started welling up as he found his Poké Ball and recalled him.

_It’s supposed to keep Pokémon in stasis until I can get help, right?_

Raticate rose again, and turned toward Rattata.

“Squirtle, Water Gun! Keep it away from Rattata! Rattata, Tail Whip!”

Raticate jumped toward Rattata, bearing its teeth for another Hyper Fang, but Squirtle managed to shoot it midair with a small blast of water, pushing it off to the side.

_Its physical defense has got to be low enough now! It has to be!_

“Water Gun! Rattata, back!”

Squirtle’s jet of water hit the Raticate, but it didn’t push it very far, since its special defense hadn’t been lowered as well. Raticate didn’t flinch, and instead bolted forward, striking Rattata with its head as she tried to retreat. Rattata hit the ground and bounced once, before falling still.

“Rattata!! Squirtle, use Water Gun! Keep it away from you!”

_That was Pursuit. Squirtle can’t retreat. We have to beat it._

Squirtle blasted Raticate twice, but it kept walking towards him, practically unphased.

_It’s now or never!_

“Tackle! Hit it, Squirtle!

Squirtle used one last Water Gun, before running forward and ramming it in the stomach when it slowed from the blast. Raticate made a wheezing sound, and Blue ran forward and kicked it again, right where Squirtle had hit it.

Blue turned and picked up Squirtle, recalled Rattata, and ran.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Blue's Party:  
>  **Squirtle**  
>  Ability: Rain Dish  
> Moves: Tackle, Tail Whip, Water Gun, Unknown
> 
> **Rattata**  
>  Ability: Guts  
> Moves: Tackle, Tail Whip, Quick Attack
> 
> **Pidgey**  
>  Ability: Keen Eye  
> Moves: Tackle, Sand Attack


	7. Viridian City, Part 2

Blue burst through the front door of the Pokémon center panting heavily, and then limped as he rushed up to the counter. He didn’t have to use the emergency queue, since the lobby was basically deserted, but he did anyway. The nurse on duty glanced over at him, and shook out of his night shift stupor.

“Crap, are you alright? Your knee is bleeding.”

Blue detached the Poké Balls from his belt as quickly as he could.

“My Pokémon and I were attacked by a high level Pokémon on Route 1. Pidgey was bitten and then thrown by the leg, and was bleeding too. Rattata was knocked out by a hard blow to her head. Please, help them.”

“Of course, I’ll take a look right away.”

The nurse nodded and grabbed the two Poké Balls, making for the examination table. He called out Pidgey first, and shrill, panicked squawking filled the room as he was forced to anesthetize her.

Blue held his hand to mouth in fear.

_Did I get here in time? I don’t deserve to be a trainer. If this is what happens to my Pokémon, how can I even justify it?_

_Focus on what you can do right now. Deal with the rest later._

Blue reached over the counter and grabbed the form he’d needed to fill out during his last visit.

_Name: Blue Oak_

He checked his watch to see if it was past midnight yet.

_Date: June 4th_

_Pokémon here for treatment: Pidgey, Rattata_

_Reason for visit: Attacked by wild Pokémon_

Blue took the third ball off his belt, and placed beside the form. He dug through his wallet, then added his trainer certification as well.

_Pokémon here for treatment: Squirtle_

_Reason for visit: Training against wild Pokémon_

The nurse called out Rattata, which seemed to still be unconscious. Blue hung his head in shame, and walked to one of the chairs nearby.

He stared blankly at the floor, as the shock of it all finally hit him.

_I started my journey just three days ago, and now I’m in the Pokémon Center wondering if my Pokémon are going to live or die, and it’s all my fault, since I kept us out too late, because I wanted to find a stupid Pikachu and can’t be satisfied by what I have, which is because I need to complete the Pokédex, so I can prove that I am capable, that I’m worthy, that I’m just as good as Daisy or Red. What if I can’t? What if I can’t, because I’m not? Because I never deserved the chance in the first place, that I’m a despicable waste of space, and it’s all my fault._

Blue was having trouble holding back the tears.

_Why should I even bother trying to? Boys don’t cry, but am I even good enough to be called a human in the first place? I’m a jerk to my friends, I’m mean to Daisy, I get my Pokémon maimed or killed. People don’t do those things; animals do. Beasts do._

_“Beasts aren’t Pokémon; dangerous beasts get put down. And that’s all there is to it.”_

Blue’s knee stung even more, as his tears fell on his legs.

* * *

“Blue? Hey, Blue?”

Blue looked up, defeat evident in his posture and movement, and tried to wipe his eyes. A teenager with bright pink hair and a concerned look on his face stood in front of him. It took Blue a few seconds to realize it was the nurse from earlier.

“Pidgey is badly injured. You got him here in time to save him from blood loss, so he will make it through, but I don’t know about the leg. I’m simply not qualified for this kind of thing, but a Pokémon surgeon will be coming by early in the morning to take a look. We will have more news then.”

“Rattata likely has a concussion. Basically, she took such a hard hit to the head that it did damage to her brain. It’s not permanent, but it will mean that her reaction time and thought processing will be impaired for a while. This injury is something I can treat here, but I need to do some tests to check how serious it is.”

“Squirtle is mostly fine, as I think you suspected. He’s tired and a little dehydrated, which is to be expected if you were training all day. I suggest adding more time to rest to your daily schedule, if possible.”

“Finally, you have a wound on your knee. Will you let me clean it up for you?”

_I’m not worth it. But Squirtle and the others are._

Blue nodded ruefully, and then watched as the young man knelt down and opened up a small first aid kit. The nurse’s white uniform wrinkled from the awkwardness of the position, and his glasses slipped far enough forward that he had to push them back against his face. His nametag read “Jon”, and was reflecting the bright lights above.

Blue grimaced as his knee was cleaned of dirt and tears.

“What happened out there? Did the Pokémon do this too?”

“No, it didn’t. I was late getting back to camp today, and it was getting dark. Most of the Pokémon had disappeared already, but a Raticate showed up in my path, and I ended up trapped between it and a retaining wall. It was irate, and wouldn’t let me leave. I knew I was too slow to get away, so I sent out all three of my Pokémon, hoping to make up for the level difference with numbers and tactics. It mostly worked, but Pidgey and Rattata were hurt before it was injured enough for us to escape.”

“The knee is because I fell while running here in the dark.”

Nurse Jon nodded.

“Alright, well you should get some water from the fountain and take a rest for now. Your leg is bandaged, and Squirtle should be ready in maybe thirty minutes. You too can rest after that, and we can discuss the other two in the morning.”

“Thank you.”

“Of course.”

After refilling his canteen, Blue set to pacing. He brought out his Pokédex.

_"Raticate, the Mouse Pokémon. Number 020. Pure Normal-type. Base stats: 55, 81, 50, 97, 70, 60."_

_“Rattata, the Mouse Pokémon. Number 019. Pure Normal-type. Base stats: 30, 56, 25, 72, 35, 35.”_

_"Pidgey, the Tiny Bird Pokémon. Number 016. Normal Flying-type. Base stats: 40, 45, 35, 56, 35, 40."_

_“Squirtle, the Tiny Turtle Pokémon. Number 007. Pure Water-type. Base stats: 44, 48, 50, 43, 64, 65.”_

He wanted to memorize it all, sear it into his brain. Learn every base stat, every move and ability he could so this never happened again.

_I will not be weak again. I will not fail my Pokémon again. I will not fail someone I love again._

Nurse Jon eventually called Blue up again, and he accepted Squirtle’s Poké Ball with gratitude. He called Squirtle out, picked him up, and sat down.

“Hi Squirtle. You’re looking a little better. Hopefully we will get some good news tomorrow.”

_“Squirt?”_

“I’m really tired, but I feel like going to sleep is giving up on Pidgey and Rattata. I’m just, so sick of not being good enough.”

Blue cuddled Squirtle against his chest, leaning over in the seat.

_I still need to get back to my tent. We need supplies, like food and potions and soap. I need to bathe, and clean my laundry. I need…_

Blue continued like that until he fell asleep.

* * *

_Baked beans, chana masala, refried beans._

Blue placed each item on the counter, not making eye contact with the shop owner. 

_Dried cranberries, mixed nuts, sunflower seeds._

His hand gripped each one a little too tightly before putting it down.

_Turkey jerky, crackers, soap._

His elbow pulling close enough where normally he’d be afraid of knocking the Poké Balls off his belt.

“Do you need a bag to carry these, or did you bring one?”

Blue almost shook his head as he went to show the cloth bag he had from last time, but he realized that he hadn’t gone back to camp yet. He nodded. He looked down at his knee, covered in its neat bandage, then got out his wallet to pay.

_“You might need to consider putting Pidgey down, or donating him to someone who would appreciate a domestic Pokémon, if you can find someone who will take him. I don’t know if he’ll ever be able to use that leg again, nevermind battle.’”_

Blue closed his eyes, trying to ignore the surgeon’s words. He’d had Pidgey for a little more than a day, and he was already permanently maimed.

_5 Potions, 3 Poké Balls._

Blue waited in line at the Poké Mart. They used the same brand of dividers to mark their queue as the Pokémon Center.

“I’m sorry, we aren’t allowed to sell you Revives, Full Heals or Repels yet. Please come back when you’ve earned some more badges!”

_How am I supposed to earn badges if I can’t keep my Pokémon safe?_

He got out his wallet again, then put the items in his battle bag.

_“I’m going to have to ask you to fill out this incident form, alright? We don’t want this Raticate to attack anyone else, so we need to report it.”_

Nurse Jon echoed in his head as he walked vaguely south.

_“Students, there are many options open to you, now that you have your trainer certifications and are graduating elementary school. If you are interested in entertainment or the arts, you could go to Iris Boarding School in Celadon. If you want to know more about Pokémon, whether battling or raising them, I might suggest Viridian Academy. Those looking to learn a trade should consider apprenticing with a local artisan. The most adventurous of you will find the regional tour an attractive option. Whatever your decision, we are here to support you as you find your place in the world.”_

Blue passed a butcher, an inn, a groomer, three carpenters’ shops and several buildings he didn’t recognize before he ambled past the sign in front of Viridian Academy.

He had never visited before, never really considered it an option. He never really had any to begin with.

_“Because these are such serious injuries, I am also going to have to inform the local representative of the Pokémon League. I don’t want to, but it’s my job. Someone might contact you if they deem the matter worthy of investigation.”_

_“Investigation?”_

_“Yes. This might fall under the definition of abusive or neglectful treatment of your Pokémon.”_

The door had been unlocked, and Blue’s footsteps clicked lightly as he walked down the hall.

_It’s not in my hands anymore._

“Can anyone please explain for the class the distinction between EVs and IVs?”

Blue pressed up against the wall, hoping he hadn’t been heard or seen.

_Why is class in session? Summer school?_

“EVs, or Effort Values, are the stat specific experience that a Pokémon gains by battling other Pokémon. Which stat is boosted depends on the Pokémon it faces. A Pokémon can only full train EVs in two stats, though.”

This voice belonged to a different speaker, probably one of the students.

“IVs are Individual Values, and are specific to each individual Pokémon. They are innate bonuses to all six of that Pokémon’s stats, and cannot be increased by training.”

_I’ve never heard of EVs or IVs before. It… sounds like something I should know, to be honest. If I’m training Pokémon to defeat gym leaders, then they’ll need to be the best they can be._

_If._

* * *

Two hours later, Blue sat down by the shore of Lake Viridian, with his camping and battle bags fully packed. It had taken him longer to find his way back to Route 1 than to find the lake.

_It doesn’t seem like much of a lake. Maybe it’s more of a pond?_

It was so much smaller than that great ocean he could see from the hilltops near Pallet Town. He found himself missing the occasional whiff of seasalt in the air, flying kites in the wind, and the weekend hikes down to the cove leading to Route 21.

Blue put down his bags, and went to set up the tent a short distance from the shore, but far enough from nearby houses that he hopefully wouldn’t be reprimanded. He’d specifically gone around to the other side of the lake to avoid scrutiny.

There wasn’t much of a breeze, but the clouds were out today, which had kept the heat from getting too oppressive. It didn’t take as long to set up the tent the second time, and he quickly laid out his sleeping bag. He didn’t feel motivated enough to start a fire, so he just laid there and absentmindedly picked at his nails.

_Maybe I should call out Squirtle; he’s been in his Poké Ball since we got up this morning._

Blue reached for the ball at his belt, but then hesitated.

_Can I really show my face to Squirtle right now? Can I bear to look at him, knowing what I did to his teammates?_

Blue anxiously unzipped the tent, and got out to wander around the clear blue lake.

_“Rattata should be ready for pick up tomorrow morning, but you’ll need to refrain from any serious battle for a few days.”_

Blue found a smooth rock near the edge of the lake, and slipped off his shoes and socks. He sat down and dipped his feet in the water.

The calm rippling of the lake against ankles was soothing, almost reassuring. He leaned forward and looked at himself.

Ragged, unkempt brown hair. Brown eyes to match, almost the same shade. His face was tanner than he remembered, and he had more pimples too, especially on his forehead. Blue brushed his hair down to cover it.

A short sleeve shirt today, with his mother’s old necklace barely visible around his neck. Watch, shorts, and two bandaged limbs, though the one on his hand was close to falling off.

_What did I expect to see?_

He’d hoped to see someone more mature, better able to handle his emotions. Someone confident and bold, with the skills to back it up. Someone to be proud of. And someone with equally strong Pokémon.

He called out Squirtle, who looked at him quizzically.

_I am not that person. I’m the persistent, unsatisfied dude who doesn’t give up. At least, not yet._

_“Squirtle!”_

Blue looked at Squirtle, and cracked a smile. Then, Squirtle jumped into the lake, splashing Blue’s legs, and turned to give him that expectant look.

“Haha, alright, you win!”

Blue stripped off his shirt, shorts and watch, and followed Squirtle in.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Blue's Party:  
>  **Squirtle**  
>  Ability: Rain Dish  
> Moves: Tackle, Tail Whip, Water Gun, Unknown


	8. Viridian City, Part 3

Blue woke up early the next morning with a dire need to use the restroom. He did his best to slip out from the sleeping bag quietly, and managed to do so without waking Squirtle. After putting on pants, he unzipped the tent and crossed the path over to the woods.

He carefully confirmed that no one else was nearby, then relieved himself. He hadn’t woken up this early in a long time; it was even earlier than on the first day of his journey.

_It must be because I drank all that water yesterday at the Pokémon Center. I should try harder to avoid dehydration while on the road with my Pokémon._

The sun was still mostly below the treeline, but the light still filtered out between the branches and lit the lake an orange hue. Blue took a moment to appreciate that as he zipped his pants, but a glimmer in the bushes along the path caught his eye.

He approached cautiously; he had no Pokémon with him, and wasn’t sure he would even want to risk Squirtle after what happened against that Raticate. There was no movement besides the lapping of the water and the occasional flutter of Pokémon among the trees.

_Is that a data disk? It is! I wonder if it’s a TM?_

Blue and his classmates had learned about TMs in school; they were audio recording disks that could be replayed using certain compatible devices. Basically, they stored data in sounds that only Pokémon could understand, but each TM allowed Pokémon with the correct innate abilities to learn a particular move. Sometimes, if the data wasn’t stored or copied properly, a TM wouldn’t be able to teach all the Pokémon it should, though.

_These are expensive, right? Ms. Cooper said something about them “not being mass-producible yet”, and that each had to be custom ordered. Should I keep it?_

Blue wandered past the two sets of clothes he left out to dry last night, and reentered his tent. Daisy would have admonished him for hanging his underwear in the bushes, but he didn’t exactly have a lot of options.

Squirtle was still sleeping, but had moved up to take the pillow. Blue smiled.

_I wonder if Squirtles can snore? Or, is every Pokémon snore also a Snore?_

Blue sat down next to Squirtle, and brought out his Pokédex to fiddle with. He’d already thoroughly memorized the four entries he had access to, but figured there must be more to the Pokédex, since his grandfather wouldn’t be so excited over an encyclopedia.

_Well, maybe he would, actually._

Blue didn’t really see any other buttons on the device, but he did see a small gear at the top right of the screen. When he clicked it, it brought up a settings menu, including some sound and graphics options; he had seen the black background with white text option when it was first being trialed, and didn’t feel inclined to try it again. At the bottom of the menu, though, was “Alpha & Beta Testing”. He tapped it.

_“Enable EV Nullification [Alpha]”_

_“Enable EV Tracking [Beta]”_

_“Enable IV Scanning [Alpha]”_

_“Enable Nature Questionnaire [Beta]_

_“Enable TM Reading [Beta]”_

Blue quickly tried to activate each one, but they all triggered an error message:

_“Please connect to the Internet for Update”_

_Well, I need to drop by the Pokémon Center to check on Rattata and Pidgey; maybe there’ll be an internet connection there._

He frowned, and his gut twisted with dread.

If Rattata and Pidgey can survive that battle with Raticate, all that pain and blood and surgery, then I can get through this.

* * *

Blue stared at his feet and nervously turned Squirtle’s Poké Ball in his hands while waiting in line. When it was finally his turn, he took a deep breath, and walked forward, meeting Nurse Joy’s eyes.

“Hello, how can I help you?”

“I have two Pokémon that have been in treatment for a day and a half. I was hoping to check their status. Uh, number 04-62.”

“Sure, give me one moment to check.”

She left to grab something, then returned with a Poké Ball in hand.

“Rattata is ready to go. She must not be allowed to battle for at least two days, and will need to be allowed extra time to sleep for longer than that. If she at any point starts showing signs of impaired vision, hearing or balance, you bring her right back immediately.”

Blue nodded.

“And then, about Pidgey…”

“I’m not giving him up for adoption. Even if he can never battle again, I will take care of him.”

_It’s my fault, and my burden. He’s my Pokémon._

“Actually, Pidgey’s surgeon reported being optimistic about his outlook; the leg should be functional, but it will take time to heal, even with our facilities. Come back in a few days, and we should be able to discharge your Pidgey.”

Blue was surprised, but remembered to nod.

“Can I please have a print out of Rattata’s medical report? I don’t want to forget anything.”

“Of course. Here you are. Have a nice day.”

Blue held Rattata’s Poké Ball gingerly, as he walked over to one of the low glass tables with cushions around it. He set down his bags, sat down with his legs crossed, and called out Rattata and Squirtle onto the cushions.

_“Tatatat!”_

_“Squirt!”_

They looked happy to see each other, and Rattata very lightly rubbed her ear against Squirtle’s chest, as if her head could hurt again at any time.

“Hi Rattata, I’m so glad you’re alright. You were so brave against that Raticate, all three of you were. You’re not allowed to battle for a little while, but we can still spend time together.”

“Raaatatat!”

Blue chuckled.

“And Pidgey should be back with us in a couple days, when his leg is feeling better. I’m sorry I got you injured, Rattata; I’m going to be the best trainer I can going forward. I hope you’ll be able to forgive me.”

Rattata looked at Blue, and slowly walked over, climbing into his lap. She closed her eyes, and he petted her softly. Squirtle came forward as well, and Blue just had to pet him too.

“We’re going to be alright.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Blue's Party:  
>  **Squirtle**  
>  Ability: Rain Dish  
> Moves: Tackle, Tail Whip, Water Gun, Unknown
> 
> **Rattata**  
>  Ability: Guts  
> Moves: Tackle, Tail Whip, Quick Attack


	9. Route 22

_Since we don’t have our party all together right now, maybe it’s a good time for a detour._

Blue looked at the map he had gotten from his sister. Viridian City had three outlets; Route 1 led south to Pallet Town and Route 2 led north to Pewter City, where his first gym battle would be. There was also Route 22, however, and that led west to the Pokémon League.

_I doubt I can get to the League itself without any badges, but there might be some interesting Pokémon available on the way._

Blue put away his sister’s map, and then picked Squirtle back up. The houses started to thin out as he headed west, giving way to more and more of the city’s namesake. Eventually, he crested a hill, and found a large stretch where the woods looked like they had been intentionally cleared and replaced with… more trees?

Many were similar in form to the one he had discovered in the hollow on Route 1, and all were even spaced in rows that flowed up and down along the path. A few rows bore small, unripe apples, and others had tough-looking pears. Most of the trees only held flowers in different stages of bloom, and he passed workers tending to some of these, climbing atop ladders and pruning the upper branches.

_I didn’t realize Viridian had such expansive orchards. I guess I never thought to ask where our fruit came from back home._

One of the farmers, an older woman with intimidatingly long garden shears, waved to Blue. A Machoke was holding the ladder steady for her, and it didn’t look happy to see her attempt such a dangerous maneuver. Blue waved back and walked over, and Machoke helped her down.

“Hello, there! What are your names?”

“I’m Blue, and this is Squirtle.”

“Nice to meet you two. My name is Aria, and this is Sam.”

_“Maaachoke.”_

Sam gave Aria a look that just screamed “I’m so done with this woman”. Blue burst out laughing.

“Hahaha, that face on your Machoke! He has quite the personality.”

“I couldn’t agree more! I don’t need a man in my life; Sam’s already quite the handful!”

“When I first started my journey, I thought the intelligence of Pokémon was overstated. Squirtle quickly taught me otherwise; he’s not afraid to express his emotions.”

“I’m sure he does it often, too; he looks like quite the rascal!”

_“Squiiirtle!”_

“What a cutie! Did you start your journey recently?”

“Yeah, just a few days ago, actually. I’m from Pallet Town.”

“You don’t say? Well, could I treat you and your Pokémon to some berries before you continue on your adventure? The trees are just a few minutes further down toward Route 22.”

“Sure. How does that sound, Squirtle?”

_“Squirt!”_

"By the way, would you mind if I scanned your Machoke, to add it to my Pokédex? It allows me to store information on different Pokémon I've encountered."

"Of course! You can scan him as we walk. Sam loves attention."

_"Machoke, the Superpower Pokémon. Number 067. Pure Fighting-type. Base stats: 80, 100, 50, 45, 60, 70."_

Aria, Blue and Sam started down the road, and it didn’t take too long before Blue found the silence awkward. He tried to make small talk.

“Aria, have you seen anyone else my age recently? Another kid in my grade started the same day as I did, but I haven’t seen him around.”

“No, I haven’t. You’re the first I’ve seen come by this season.”

“Hmm… Oh, what are those?”

Blue pointed to the round, baseball sized fruit growing on the trees they were walking by. They looked vaguely like apples, but they were a bright pink color.

“Apricorns! These are the pink variety, which grow very well in the climate here. Artisans use them to fashion Love Balls and Heal Balls. We actually export these to Johto. One of the benefits is that Viridian City is the only place in Kanto where you can buy those types of Poké Balls.”

“Is that one of them on your necklace there?”

“Oh, yes, this is Sam’s. I caught him in this Love Ball over on Victory Road near the end of my own journey.”

“How did you decide what to name your Machoke? I always assumed I’d give my Pokémon nicknames, but when I met Squirtle, I couldn’t think of anything more appropriate.”

“Oh, he reminded me of my old friend Sam. He was quite the hottie, and he took my breath away in more ways than one. It didn’t really work out; academia didn’t leave him a lot of free time. It’s nice to catch up with him every now and then though.”

“Here we go! Cheri, Chesto, Pecha, Rawst and Aspear berries are these five rows here. Trainers come by every now and then to buy some, since they help assuage the effects of status ailments. Pokémon love the taste too. Let me get you a few of each as a sample, and if Squirtle here likes them, maybe you’ll come by again sometime.”

Squirtle and Blue waved goodbye to Aria a few minutes later, his battle bag full of fresh berries.

* * *

Route 22 had a different feel from Route 1. The land got mountainous as it approached Johto, and it was said that some of the strongest Pokémon in the world could be found there. Victory Road was supposed to be a cave through the mountainside, leading to the highest building in Kanto, the Pokémon League at the top of the Indigo Plateau. And of course, every school kid learned that the tallest mountain in either Kanto or Johto was Mt. Silver.

Route 22 reflected this, as it followed a path through the center of a forest glen, steep slopes to either side. Blue had never been this close to a mountain before, and he was struck by the scale of it all.

_Do people really climb these things? I bet the view from the top is amazing, but it would take a special kind of crazy to try lugging this camping gear all the way up._

Blue followed along a small stream that seemed to originate further down the route. The air here was a little crisper, the shade a little colder. He occasionally heard distant shrieks and the rustling of branches, but wasn’t able to see any wild Pokémon. Squirtle kept turning his head excitedly, as if watching a performance on all sides.

He passed with difficulty through a particularly old set of trees; they weren’t remarkably tall, but wide with thick limbs. Beyond that he found a grove of sumac trees leading up to a field of grass on a small hill. Occasionally, he’d see a curved purple tail pop out of the tall grass, and he could hear disconcerted chirping.

Off the left edge he could see what looked like an old service road, used for quick travel to the league. It was in a clear state of disrepair, with chunks of asphalt broken and upheaved, and varieties of weeds and bushes growing in the cracks.

Blue tried continuing toward the west instead, but found himself blocked by dense thorn bushes. A few had small wilting flowers, while others had hard green berries, segmented into many round sections, growing among the leaves. These bushes flowed along the edge of the field, blocking off most of the north side as well.

He and Squirtle squeezed between the thorns, descending off the right side to where the stream meandered through the foliage, and followed it past the hill to a path that matched the one they had originally started on.

_It’s almost like this route has been broken apart and patched back together, and nothing lines up quite right._

Eventually, Blue came upon a glimmering pond that fed the stream. The north and west banks were raised, as if the water had gotten caught and pooled against the earth. He thought he could see another stream on the other side, presumably feeding the pond with water from the mountains.

“Right here on the ledge looks like a decent place to camp for a few days. We can have easy access to fresh water, but if the pond fills up, it won’t overflow into camp.”

_“Squirt!”_

“Do you want to take a dip in the pond? I know it’s hot out.”

Squirtle nodded, and Blue put him down, then sat down and began to upack his travel bags. As he began to pull out the tent, he watched with amusement as Squirtle jumped in the air and retreated into his shell, performing a cannonball as he hit the water. Some of the spray reached Blue’s face, and it was quite refreshing.

_Wait, that was Withdraw, wasn’t it?_

“Hey Squirtle, when we’re done, I’d like to practice some drills with your Water Gun since we have this pond and all those trees in range over there. We should also test out your Withdraw, since we haven’t used it before.”

_“Squiiirtle!”_

He finished setting up the tent, and called out Rattata.

_I don’t want to work Rattata up at all, but she might want the chance to get out of her ball, and look around so she knows where she’s sleeping later._

“Hi Rattata. We’re setting up camp, and then Squirtle will be doing some training. If you want to stretch your legs or get some water, I can get some lunch ready.”

* * *

It had rained the night before, and the ground squelched under Blue’s feet as he walked the circumference of the pond, looking for the second stream he thought he had seen.

Since Squirtle had practiced his drills in the afternoon the previous day, and Rattata wasn’t allowed to battle right now, he figured they could go straight into further exploring Route 22 this morning.

Blue followed the stream, but the trees here were in worse shape than the first part of the route, with some charred black, a bunch rotting and others fallen over the stream. He used one to cross, avoiding another bunch of thorn bushes up ahead. The stream wandered here, winding between the undergrowth.

_I don’t know if it’s still headed west anymore. I need a better vantage point. Wait, what’s that?_

A barbed, green fruit lay on the ground in front of him. He didn’t see any fruit trees nearby, but he could hear chirping and rustling branches to his right. He picked up the fruit, which actually seemed to be a tough husk of some sort, and ambled in that direction.

_“Meehhhnn!”_

A hairy brown blur swung down from a branch above Blue and grabbed the husk from his hand, screeching excitedly, and started jumping through the trees. He started running, chasing the long-legged primate which was soon attacked by others of its species, as they fought over the prize. Chirping changed to cawing, as tiny red birds fled the scene.

_I don’t think Squirtle’s Water Gun can reach that far. Maybe when Pidgey is better, we could take a shot at catching a Mankey._

_"Mankey, the Pig Monkey Pokémon. Number 056. Pure Fighting-type. Base stats: 40, 80, 35, 70, 45, 35."_

Behind the hungry pack of Mankey was another hill, and Blue worked his way around the tumult in the trees to take a look. It was covered in tall grass, like the previous one, but was far enough away that the chirping birds hadn’t been disturbed by the food fight.

He crept up through the grass, until he got close enough to see a small bird, about the size of Pidgey, but slightly less fat. It had brown feathers bristling from hits head and neck, and the red colored wings he had seen earlier.

_"Spearow, the Tiny Bird Pokémon. Number 021. Normal Flying type. Base stats: 40, 60, 31, 70, 31, 30."_

_Those physical attack and speed are both significantly better than Pidgey’s, and only at the cost of a little defense._

Blue called out Squirtle quietly in front of him, then whispered to him:

“Water Gun.”

Squirtle shot the Spearow before it realized what was happening, soaking its feathers. It squawked angrily, and sounded scarier than any of the Pidgey from Route 1. The look it gave was ferocious.

_Leer, maybe? Remind me not to run through a flock of these._

“Again! Don’t let it take off!”

Blue grabbed a Poké Ball from his bag as Squirtle hit the Spearow a second time. He threw it, but the Spearow dodged it by getting airborne, and then instead of fleeing it flew forward.

“Withdraw!”

Squirtle managed to get into its shell just before Spearow started Pecking at it, hitting the carapace instead of the face, which seemed to be its original target.

_This bird is playing for keeps. Did it just try to blind Squirtle?_

Spearow seemed to realize Blue was there, and turned and Growled at him. He couldn’t tell if it was planning to attack him too, or was trying to claim Squirtle as its prey. He threw a second Poké Ball, at its head this time, and it managed to connect.

“Squirtle, use Water Gun if it gets out!”

Squirtle popped out of his shell as the ball shook, then broke in half. Spearow was immediately shot out of the air as it appeared from the ball, and Blue tried again. After the third shake, Blue and Squirtle finally lowered their guard.

“Well, that was different. I never expected something so small to be so aggressive.”

_“Squiiirt.”_

Squirtle seemed to agree.

* * *

After managing to take down two more Spearows using a similar strategy, Blue called for a lunch break. He sat down on a fallen tree, and Squirtle hopped up to join him. Then, he called out Spearow.

“Peeaaar!

It still looked quite angry, and was crying out toward Squirtle, who looked less than amused. Blue shared some nuts with Squirtle, then held out some dried fruit to Spearow, which definitely recognized it as the bribe it was. It must have decided the food was worth it though, because it trotted forward and took it from his hand, eating it off the ground instead.

_“Spearow, Female. Ability: Keen Eye. Moves: Peck, Growl, Leer."_

“Another Keen Eye. Well, maybe you and Pidgey will get along then. Let me heal you up while you guys eat.”

* * *

An hour or so after finishing up lunch, a large green roofed building came into view. It looked a little like the security buildings around Viridian City, but was far bigger, and was set in the narrow pass where the two mountains met cliff to cliff. Blue would have needed climbing gear or wings to get around it.

He opened the door, and stepped into a fancily decorated hall. The air was perfectly comfortable, but the atmosphere was tense. He could see two guards standing at attention at an intersection further down the hallway. He passed wall hangings, mood lighting and potted plants as he approached.

“Hello, welcome to the front gate of the Pokémon League. Please check in with reception if you’d like to proceed.”

Blue walked over to the desk, where a young man reading a magazine looked up from his seat.

_He probably doesn’t get too many visitors?_

“Good afternoon. Could I please see your trainer certification?”

Blue pulled out his wallet, and handed it over.

“I don’t have any badges yet. I was just exploring Route 22 when I saw this place, and thought I should take a look.”

“Ah, alright. Unfortunately, we can’t let you pass through any of these doors besides the one you came through; the Pokémon are too high of a level for you right now. We encourage you to come back once you have all 8 Kanto badges, however.”

“Well, that’s the plan, haha.”

Blue’s laugh was nervous, but the receptionist smiled genuinely.

“Few make it that far, but it is achievable. Good luck!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Blue's Party:  
>  **Squirtle**  
>  Ability: Rain Dish  
> Moves: Tackle, Tail Whip, Water Gun, Withdraw
> 
> **Rattata**  
>  Ability: Guts  
> Moves: Tackle, Tail Whip, Quick Attack
> 
> **Spearow**  
>  Ability: Keen Eye  
> Moves: Peck, Growl, Leer


	10. Route 22, Part 2

It rained again that night, but this time it didn’t stop before dawn. Blue woke up to the loud crash of thunder, accompanied by the sound of a furious downpour on his tent, and anxious squeaking. Both Squirtle and Rattata were apparently unused summer thunderstorms.

_Or maybe they just wanted to warn me. It makes sense to wake up your trainer if you might get struck by lightning._

Blue peered out the small slit in the back of the tent that served as a window, and tried to make out the pond. He was afraid it might overflow in the torrent, but his initial estimate had been correct; the ledge kept them far above the waterline.

_“Tatatatatatatat…”_

Blue turned to Rattata, and saw that she was shaking uncontrollably. He carefully picked her up, and stroked her head.

“Squirtle, you can come over too! How are you two doing? I know it’s frightening at first, but it should be safe in here. Of course, I’m not sure what to do about bathroom breaks…”

_Did any water get in through the door last night?? Oh, I forgot that I didn’t unzip it, since it rained yesterday too._

_Did either of them go to the bathroom in here then?_

He looked around, but the tent was clean. However, he was under no illusions; it would not remain so if the three of them stayed inside all day.

_I think Squirtle might be able to hold his for a while; he’s only been peeing about once a day, which I assume is because his body has a use for excess water. Rattata is like me though._

“Hey, Rattata. Once you’ve calmed down a bit, we’re going to put you back in your Poké Ball for a while, so that we can avoid going to the bathroom as long as possible.”

Rattata didn’t seem to understand, but she did relax into his chest as he rubbed her. 

* * *

Sometime later, after breakfast had been finished, Blue recalled Rattata and pulled Squirtle onto his lap. He reached over and grabbed the Pokédex, figuring he could spend some time exploring the new features.

He clicked on the Manage Team button, then on Squirtle’s icon.

_“Scan for IVs”_

_“Please hold the scanner directly in front of your specific Pokémon for 5 seconds.”_

_Reused text prompts?_

_“IVs: Best, Pretty Good, Best, Best, Best, Best”_

“Wow, Squirtle you seem top notch buddy! Let’s check out your nature.”

_“Nature Questionnaire”_

_“Please answer these questions on a scale of 1 to 5, with 1 being “Not a good description of the Pokémon” and 5 being “Perfect description of the Pokémon.”_

_“Gets excited often - 5”_

_“Doesn’t like to start fights - 3”_

_“Likes to hide - 3”_

When he had finished, the Pokédex informed Blue that Squirtle was likely Jolly natured, but that Quirky was also a possibility. Jolly apparently meant that Squirtle would have a 10% reduction in physical attack, and a 10% increase in speed, whereas Quirky had no effect.

_“Please don’t rely too heavily on this analysis; nature determination is still in Beta.”_

“Hmm, well what do you think, Squirtle?”

_“Squiirt!”_

“Haha, you’re right, in this case it doesn’t matter which; you’re you, and that’s good enough for now. Why don’t we take a look at EVs?”

_“EV Tracking”_

_“Please select which Pokémon your Squirtle has been in a battle against, where both used at least one move, and how many battles each.”_

“Crap, I can’t select Charmander, since I never scanned Red’s. I’ll have to do that next time we see him. Let’s see…”

_Pidgey: 3, Rattata: 2, Raticate: 1, Spearow: 4_

_“11 Speed EVs”_

_“Click on a stat to see all encountered Pokémon which reward EVs for that stat.”_

_“Physical Defense: Squirtle (1)”_

_“Physical Attack: None”_

“Huh. Looks like we’re just finding a lot of fast Pokémon right now, eh Squirtle?

_“Activate EV Nullification for the Pokémon?”_

_“Note: This will temporarily block a Pokémon from gaining any EVs other than one stat of your choice. The effect remains until manually disabled.”_

“Let’s try it, Squirtle. I know we want to train you in Speed, but I’m not sure which one of your other stats is best right now. Is that alright?”

_“Squirt?”_

“Haha, well, let’s see how it goes.”

_“Please choose a stat to train: Speed”_

_“Please choose one of your Pokémon: Squirtle”_

_“Please hold the scanner directly in front of your specific Pokémon for 5 seconds. Do not aim at other Pokémon, or any animal or human; unknown side effects may occur.”_

_Well, if that isn’t ominous…_

A glowing fan of red energy, reminiscent of a Poké Balls’ effect, shot out of the beam toward Squirtle once Blue pressed “Start”. It didn’t seem to hurt, and Squirtle just looked inquisitive afterward.

“Hopefully it worked then. What else do we have on here?”

_“TM Reading”_

_“Please open the disk drive on the right and insert a TM”_

“Ready to find out what this disk does, Squirtle?

“Squiiirtle!”

_“Will-o-Wisp: Fire-type ranged status move, medium accuracy; burns the target.”_

_“Owned Pokémon that can learn Will-o-Wisp: None”_

_It might not be useful right now, but the ability to inflict a burn at will could be very useful in either a trainer battle or against a wild Pokémon._

“Oh well. I guess it’s time we figured out how we’re going to do bathroom breaks. What do we have to dry off with?”

* * *

The rain died off that night, and did not return the next morning. Blue had gone to bed early out of boredom, and woke up right not long after dawn as a result. He had immediately started off for Viridian, eager to get some exercise in after being cooped up all the previous day.

_There is only so much I can memorize in this Pokédex. Maybe I should look for a trainer handbook or something portable to read while I’m in the city? Either way, I think it’s a good time to go pick up Pidgey, and I can throw out this trash while I’m there._

The walk back was uneventful, as was his visit to the Pokémon center.

“The surgeon said that your Pidgey has recovered remarkably well, and that he should be ready to do some light battling now. We kept him so long even after we were sure he’d recover, because even just standing would have done damage to the leg. We were hoping to get it completely healed before Pidgey left with you.”

“Thank you, Nurse Joy. And please thank Pidgey’s surgeon as well; I’m glad Pidgey is whole and healthy again.”

Blue turned to leave, but then had a second thought.

“Hey, do you have any suggestions for a pocket-sized trainer guide I could pick up? I’d really appreciate having something to read the next time I’m trapped in my tent because of the rain.”

* * *

Red light flashed all around him, as Blue tossed his Poké Balls out on the shore below his tent. Squirtle, Rattata, Pidgey and Spearow all popped out.

_“Squiirt!”_

Squirtle jumped up and down excitedly, receiving a judgmental look from Spearow that was bordering on a full on Leer. Rattata ran up to a spiked husk on the ground, squeaking excitedly, as Pidgey seemed to test out his legs gingerly.

_It seems like Pidgey hasn’t had time to realize he’s healed yet. And Spearow definitely needs to get acclimated to being on a team._

“Today we’re going to start doing drills again! I know it’s been a while for all of us, but we need to make sure we’re ready for battle.”

Blue pointed to the young tree beside him. It wasn’t much thicker than his calf, and tilted slightly toward the pond as if trying to escape the older trees nearby.

“We’re practicing on this tree today. Squirtle, use Water Gun.”

_“Squirtle!”_

Squirtle took a second to aim, and shot a stream of water from its mouth, but it failed to reach the tree.

_That was a bigger water gun than normal. Maybe because there’s water nearby to refill with?_

“Get a little closer, Squirtle, then Water Gun again! Pidgey, use Sand Attack. Let’s see what your range is like too.”

Blue kept Squirtle and Pidgey testing their projectile attacks like that, and carefully got Spearow onto his forearm.

_Please, do not cut into my arm._

“Come on, Rattata, you and Spearow will go to the other side of the tree. Let’s start with Tail Whip. Spearow, can you Leer for me?”

Rattata started practicing, but Spearow just gave the Blue the most abrasive look he’d ever seen from a Pokémon.

“Not at me, Spearow! Haha, see the tree? Use Peck!”

This time the rust-colored bird understood, as she flew over to the tree and hit it with her beak. She flew back to Blue, looking unsure.

_Huh. Pidgey doesn’t usually attack from the air during drills._

“Good job! Now Growl at the tree! I know it’s kind of stupid, but it’s good to practice! Once we’re all done practicing our ranged and status moves, we can try doing some physical attacks together.”

* * *

“Alright, let’s take a break for lunch!”

_“Ratatat!”_

_“Dgeooh!”_

_“Squiirt!”_

The last cry was drowned out by a splash as the little turtle jumped into the pond, then began playing in the water. Rattata ran over excitedly, but looked too anxious to jump in. Pidgey fluttered over to the top of the tent, cleaning sand out of its feathers while pointedly ignoring Spearow, while the other bird just followed Blue to his backpack.

“Well aren’t you a serious girl? That’s okay too; I always get serious when it comes to trainer battles! We’re going to get along just fine.”

_Everyone seems to be getting their moves down, though Spearow doesn’t seem ready quite yet; she takes maybe half a second longer than the rest to respond. It’s not surprising though, since it’s her first day.._

Rattata started squeaking, as if complaining about the unfairness of the situation. Squirtle swam over to meet her, and Blue called all four over to grab their food.

While they ate, Blue pulled out his Pokédex and munched on some jerky.

“Rattata: Timid nature. IVs: Best, Pretty Good, Decent, Decent, Decent, No Good"

“Pidgey: Sassy nature. IVs: Decent, Very Good, Pretty Good, Decent, Decent, Decent”

“Spearow: Serious nature. IVs: Pretty Good, Decent, Fantastic, Very Good, Decent, No Good”

_Huh. Rattata and Pidgey’s natures are actively hindering them when it comes to battle, while Spearow’s is completely neutral. Is there anything I can do about that? Should I try to use their natures to our advantage?_

Blue used the Pokédex function to focus all of his Pokémon’s future EVs gains on Speed, then called all four of them over.

“We’re going to do a little more training before we go out looking for other Pokémon today. Pidgey, up! Up!”

Pidgey looked confused, but when Blue repeated himself, he flew up to Blue’s shoulder.

_Ah, knowing that command might have helped against Raticate. I can’t make that mistake again._

“No, Pidgey. Let’s try this.”

He carefully picked the little bird up, took a deep breath, and got ready to catch Pidgey.

“Up!”

Blue tossed Pidgey lightly into the air. The bird squawked and fell two feet before it got its wings flapping.”

_“Dgeooooaaaahhh!”_

_I probably deserved that._

“Great job, Pidgey! Up again!”

It took Pidgey a second, but when Blue started to reach out toward him, he flew up and out of his reach.

“Perfect! Now, down!”

Blue patted his shoulder, and the bird quickly landed on his other one, quietly refusing to meet his eyes.

“Wow, and I thought Red’s silent treatment was bad! Spearow, it’s your turn now!”

_“Peaaar!”_

After a few minutes of flying practice, Blue turned to Squirtle and Rattata.

“Alright, let’s get you into the water! Come on, Spearow, Pidgey!”

He picked up Rattata and walked her to the water’s edge.

“It’s going to be okay girl, just bear with me a second.”

Rattata’s squeaking grew loud as he carefully placed her in water that only went up to the middle of her legs. He pet her as she slowly calmed down.

“Squirtle, go on in.”

Once the little turtle was in and about to start playing again, Blue quickly grabbed his attention.

“Use Water Gun on that tree, Squirtle!”

_We need to get him used to using the water to his advantage._

“Squirtle, dodge left!”

Squirtle hesitated, then side swam to the left, as Blue slowly backed away from Rattata.

“Good job! Rattata, dodge right!”

“Rattata reacted immediately, but got slowed down by the water a bit.”

_That’s why we’re practicing._

“Pidgey, Spearow, move forward, over the water!”

_They’re hesitant, but fast learners. We can do this._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Blue's Party:  
>  **Squirtle**  
>  Ability: Rain Dish  
> Moves: Tackle, Tail Whip, Water Gun, Withdraw
> 
> **Rattata**  
>  Ability: Guts  
> Moves: Tackle, Tail Whip, Quick Attack
> 
> **Pidgey**  
>  Ability: Keen Eye  
> Moves: Tackle, Sand Attack
> 
> **Spearow**  
>  Ability: Keen Eye  
> Moves: Peck, Growl, Leer


	11. Route 22, Part 3

Blue set out a couple hours and two long breaks later, with Pidgey on his left shoulder, and Spearow on the other.

_We have a few hours before dark, and just one more item left on our to do list._

Blue retraced his path from earlier in the week, which ended up being more difficult than he’d expected. The rain had erased his footsteps, and he simply didn’t remember which way he’d gone perfectly. However, he did eventually find his goal.

Sounds of screeching came from two trees ahead, as Blue ducked down in the underbrush with his birds.

_One Mankey, preferably alone._

He waited for what seemed like an eternity, but the pack just kept bustling about, no single monkey separating from the others. He pulled the chestnut that Rattata had found earlier from his pocket.

_I guess it’s up to me then._

Blue whistled. It wasn’t as loud as he would have liked, but it did cause the Mankey to quiet down. Then, he threw the husk into the air, toward a tree off to the side.

It took a second, but then the screeching started up again, much louder than before, as several of the pig monkeys leapt from the branches toward the nut. Some were slow to take interest, but followed the others after a few moments. Blue crept around the tree, peeking into where the Mankey had been socializing.

He pointed to one.

“Tackle! Peck!”

Blue made his voice louder than was necessary, and the remaining Mankey all jumped up in surprise. All three turned to flee, but one was knocked out of the tree as Pidgey Tackled it. Spearow, with the same hunter mentality Blue remembered from their first encounter, waited until Mankey hit the ground, before Pecking directly at its face.

_“Meeehnn!”_

The sound pained Blue’s ears.

“Spearow, don’t hurt it too much. We want it to join our team!”

_Is that blood on Spearow’s beak? She'll kill that Mankey if I let her!  
_

Blue recalled Spearow, then stepped back fearfully, as the tan fur bristled out and Mankey released a deeper bellow than Blue thought possible.

_Shit. It’s pissed._

Mankey leapt toward Blue, reaching forward with its claws three times in quick succession. Thankfully, Blue was far enough away to dodge the barrage, but only barely.

_Fury Swipes!_

“Pidgey, Tackle!"

Mankey closed its eyes and released a low rumble, which Blue quickly recognized as Focus Energy from his encounter with Raticate. Fortunately, the Mankey was interrupted as a burst of feathers plowed into its face again.

“Pidgey, up! Get away!”

This time, Pidgey understood the command and flew out of range. Mankey promptly stood up and turned back toward Blue, who bent his knees, hoping to dive out of the way.

“Tackle, then up again!”

Mankey was too fast though; it immediately responded to Blue’s call by shooting forward and kicking his leg from underneath him. He fell to the ground in a tumble, narrowly avoiding hitting his again against a large rock.

_Was that intentional? Can it choose where I’m going to fall when it uses Low Kick? It’s like Mankey wants to kill me!_

Pidgey swept down and knocked Mankey off its feet once more, buying time for Blue to regain his senses.

“Uh, oh wow. Good job, Pidgey. Tackle again!”

Mankey jumped up and hit Blue in the gut, knocking the wind out of him, before Pidgey managed to strike the ugly primate one last time. It fell down, barely conscious, with a Poké Ball it had stolen from Blue’s bag falling to the side.

Blue coughed and held his stomach, then picked up the ball that Mankey had Coveted, and threw it hard at Mankey’s head. The Poké Ball wiggled once, then fell still.

“I think that’s enough for one day.”

In response, Pidgey Gusted the Poké Ball into the air, where Blue caught it.

_Noted._

* * *

When Blue got back to camp, he found one last surprise waiting for him; there was a second tent beside his. A small fire danced in the pit, despite all the wood nearby being soaked from the recent storm.

As the twigs crunched beneath his feet, Red stepped out to greet him.

_Or, whatever it is that Red does._

“Hey, Red. You going to the Pokémon League? You can forget it. If you don’t have any badges, the guard won’t let you through!”

Red tilted his head slightly before relaxing his posture.

“Did your Pokémon get any stronger? We’ve been out training all day.”

Red nodded, suddenly full of energy. Then, he pulled out a Poké Ball.

“Now?”

Blue looked at his watch, then at the sun, which was just over the treeline.

"Can't it wait until tomorrow morning?"

Red shook his head energetically, then paused, giving Blue a pathetic look.

“Alright, fine. This time, I’m not going easy on you!”

The two of them walked from the tents to the clearing beside the water, where they wouldn’t have to worry about Charmander setting the forest on fire. Blue turned around and faced his rival, feeling a small surge of excitement.

_I have five Pokémon now. Let’s see what you got, Red!_

They each threw their Poké Ball at the same time, as if by silent agreement.

_“Charr!”_

_“Dgeooh!”_

_"Charmander, the Lizard Pokémon. Number 004. Pure Fire-type. Base stats: 39, 52, 60, 65, 50, 43."_

_Crap, its attack and speed stats are significantly better than Squirtle’s._

Blue looked up to see Red waiting for him.

“Alright, let’s go.”

Red nodded, then made some hand motions.

“Up!”

Pidgey flew up as Charmander coughed up some flames toward where he had been less than a second before.

“Tackle!”

Pidgey swept down and smacked the orange lizard, who had been attempting to dodge. They both recovered quickly.

“Back up!”

Charmander spewed a viscous gray Smokescreen in front of itself as Pidgey took back to the sky. Red cracked a small smile, which Blue ignored.

“Gust that shit away, Pidgey. Then Tackle it!”

Pidgey used his wings to generate a small gust of wind, which pushed the smoke away. It began to dissipate over the water. However, when Pidgey dove down to strike Charmander again, Charmander shot him out of the air with another Ember.

“Pidgey! You can do this. Get back up and use Sand Attack!”

Pidgey looked confused, as if he didn’t know what to do.

_Oh no, I said up and Sand Attack, but he can’t use Sand Attack in the air!_

“Dodge, then Sand Attack!”

Pidgey barely got fluttered out of the way of more flames, before hopping down and kicking sand at the lizard. It also got out of the way though.

Charmander released another cloud of smoke.

“Left, then Tackle!”

Red frowned, and seemed unsure what to do with his hands for a moment. Then Pidgey lunged in and knocked Charmander out of the smoke.

“Nice job, Pidgey! Keen Eye rocks! Up!”

Red’s eyes lit up, and Charmander produced another Smokescreen.

“Pidgey, down, right, then Tackle!”

Pidgey swept down again, but this time, Charmander ran out of the smoke right before he tried to Tackle. Then, it barfed flames on top of Pidgey as it passed.

“Pidgey!!!”

He was struggling to stand back up, and it looked like the wing closest to Charmander had been burned.

_No, I am not letting Pidgey take another major injury!_

“That’s enough Pidgey. You did great!”

Red tilted his head again, giving Blue a quizzical expression. Blue reached to his belt for Spearow’s Poké Ball.

_Spearow has Keen Eye too; she’ll be able to ignore the Smokescreens._

_Wait. I don’t want her to mutilate Red’s Charmander. He’s a complete shit, but that’s not his Pokémon’s fault._

_Rattata? No, it’s still been too soon since her concussion. Mankey? No, Mankey is literally still bleeding … I only have one Pokémon left then. _

_I shouldn’t have accepted his challenge._

Blue tugged off Squirtle’s Poké Ball, then gulped heavily.

“Alright, it’s just you and me now, buddy. Go, Squirtle!”

Squirtle popped out of his ball cheerfully, but fell silent when he saw Charmander. Red pulled out his Pokédex this time, then looked up.

_I know, Squirtle. Let’s do this._

“Water Gun!”

Charmander managed to get out its Ember first, but it ended up shooting off toward the trees, puffing out in the air. Squirtle’s Water Gun was spot on, but Charmander dodged it just in time.

It danced around the puddle, trying to avoid dipping its tail in the water.

“Right, right, Water Gun!”

Charmander shot two Embers this time, but Blue had purposefully given Squirtle a strange series of commands.

_Red can hear me, but I can’t understand him. I need to out predict him while at a disadvantage._

Thankfully, Squirtle caught on fast, and dodged hard to the right, diving into the water with a splash.

Then, it blasted Charmander hard in the face with a full strength Water Gun, since it didn’t have to worry about conserving water.

Charmander collapsed in the puddle, and Red immediately ran up and picked it out of the water before its tail flame could completely fade away. He let out a sigh of relief, then withdrew Charmander to its ball.

“Great job, Squirtle! That was perfect!”

_“Squiirtle!!”_

Blue smiled broadly, but then his eyes grew huge as Red sent out another Pokémon.

_“Pikaaa!”_

_"Pikachu, the Mouse Pokémon. Number 025. Pure Electric-type. Base stats: 35, 55, 50, 90, 40, 30."_

“Get out of the water!”

_Crap, he doesn’t know a command for that!_

“Tackle!”

Squirtle ran forward, but he didn’t get out of the water in time. The shriek that Squirtle let out was horrible, but Blue didn’t have time to process it. He sprinted to the water, then paused for a split second, afraid of the electricity.

_Squirtle could be dying now._

Blue reached in anyway, and pulled Squirtle out and into his arms, immediately digging into his bag for his potions.

_Please be alright. Please!_

Blue sprayed Squirtle all over with two Potions before Squirtle made a small cough and opened his eyes. Then, he spasmed as he tried to move.

_No, oh no, please be temporary!_

He pulled out his Paralysis Heal, and sprayed Squirtle with it too. This time, Squirtle made a more normal whine when he moved his legs.

Blue let out a tearful sigh of relief, then collapsed into a sitting position on the edge of the pond.

_“Squirtle.”_

“Are you okay, Squirtle? You did a great job. If you’re still feeling abnormal, we can go to the Pokémon Center tonight. Four of you are injured, so it’s probably a good idea anyway.

_“Squiirt?”_

Red quietly walked up behind Blue. He reached out, as if to put a hand on Blue’s shoulder, but then pulled it back. Blue turned on him angrily.

“You lucked out. It won’t happen again. Come on, Squirtle.”

Blue packed up his tent and belongings as the sun set, then transferred some food and his flashlight to his battle bag. He called Spearow out, which hopped up to his shoulder, then turned to go. He left Red on Route 22 without another word.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Blue's Party:  
>  **Squirtle**  
>  Ability: Rain Dish  
> Moves: Tackle, Tail Whip, Water Gun, Withdraw
> 
> **Rattata**  
>  Ability: Guts  
> Moves: Tackle, Tail Whip, Quick Attack
> 
> **Pidgey**  
>  Ability: Keen Eye  
> Moves: Tackle, Sand Attack, Gust
> 
> **Spearow**  
>  Ability: Keen Eye  
> Moves: Peck, Growl, Leer
> 
> **Mankey**  
>  Ability: Unknown  
> Moves: Covet, Low Kick, Focus Energy, Fury Swipes
> 
> Red's Party:  
>  **Charmander**  
>  Ability: Solar Power  
> Moves: Scratch, Growl, Ember, Smokescreen
> 
> **Pikachu**  
>  Ability: Lightningrod  
> Moves: Thunder Wave, Nasty Plot, Thunder Shock, Quick Attack


	12. Route 2

“Good evening. How can I help you today?”

Nurse Jon cracked a small smile, but Blue just looked down sheepishly.

_How many times have I come crawling to this Pokémon Center with badly injured Pokémon?_

“My fri— uh, my rival, I guess, challenged me to a battle, and his Pikachu electrocuted my Squirtle. I immediately sprayed him with Potions and a Paralysis Heal, and fed him a couple Cheri berries on the way back. Pidgey was also injured and burned in that battle. I don’t think it was as serious as Squirtle’s, though I used a Burn Heal and Rawst berries on him too. Could you please take a look?”

Jon nodded, and reached to grab Squirtle and Pidgey’s Poké Balls.

“Oh, and I tried to use my Spearow for the first time earlier in the day, and she attacked a Mankey a little too aggressively. I recalled her quickly, and managed to catch the Mankey, but its face was bleeding. Rattata was here recently too; could you make sure she didn’t injure herself again while training? We were careful, but…”

_I come in here and promptly lose all confidence. I’m making a fool of myself._

The nurse gave Blue a chuckle, and gathered up all the balls.

“Thanks.”

Blue took a treatment request form from the pile, which had conveniently been moved to the customers’ side of the counter, and took his time filling it out. For the first time, he found himself appreciating the light, airy music drifting through the lobby. It seemed to help soothe his mood.

_What is wrong with Red, using such a strong Electric move on a Water-type Pokémon which was half-submerged in a pond? I know he always wants to win, but he should have known better!_

_But I would have done the same thing, wouldn’t I? It’s easy to get caught up in the moment, and it was an obvious, exploitable weakness._

Blue flicked through his Pokédex, looking at the new entries for Charmander and Pikachu.

_Charmander fought really well. I wonder if I’ll ever be able to get one? Red did a good job too, though; their strategy was well thought out. Was this his first trainer battle since Gramps’ place as well?_

“Blue Oak?”

Blue sprang up and jogged over to the counter where Nurse Jon was waiting with two Poké Balls.

“Your Rattata is perfectly fine, though maybe a tad tired. Same with your Spearow. They are free to go now.”

Blue nodded gravely, and picked up the two balls.

“Mankey will need an hour or two; the wound was deep and bloody, which meant stitches, but ultimately there was no lasting damage. Pidgey and Squirtle will be ready in the morning. You dealt with the wounds very well, and treated both status ailments properly. You should be proud of yourself.”

Blue sighed, then met Jon’s eyes. Realizing he meant what he’d said, Blue blushed.

“Thanks. Could I pick up Mankey tomorrow morning as well? I think… I’d like to get some sleep.”

“Of course. Nurse Joy should be here to assist you then. Have a nice night.”

* * *

After restocking his supplies the next morning, including buying a couple extra ailment curing items, Blue picked up his remaining Pokémon. Squirtle was the last of the Pokémon that Blue called out to check on.

_“Squirt!”_

The blue turtle jumped up happily, then retreated into his shell and spun, shooting between Blue’s legs.

“Woah! Haha, nice move, Squirtle. Why don’t we focus on Rapid Spin instead of Tackle from now on? I feel like it’ll be more useful in the long run.”

_“Squiiirttle!”_

Blue picked Squirtle up, and carried him as he headed north out of the city, petting him and listening to his cute banter. Blue only recalled him once his arms got tired, as he neared the edge of the city.

Viridian subtly melded into the surrounding woods as he went, just as it did when he had approached Route 1. However, Blue soon came across a field of small trees, akin to the road toward Route 22, but of different species. These ones did not seem to bear any kind of fruit, or at least weren’t in season.

As Blue continued, the trees grew younger, until they were barely larger than bushes. The real treeline was barely visible, far out beyond the fields.

_I saw a few carpenters’ shops in the city; maybe this is where they get the wood? They could be farming the trees like we do wheat in Pallet Town, but over years instead of months, maybe?_

The forest eventually came back, right around where the path crossed a stream. Blue stopped before the stone bridge, and brought his Pokémon out for a quick drink, and took a moment to refill his canteens. The gurgle of the water was accompanied by strange sounds, like rhythmic cranking and the occasional metallic creak. When he looked downstream, he saw the water funneled into a tight path, where it fell onto a rotating waterwheel.

_A lumber mill? We learned how they work in class, but I’ve never seen one before._

Beyond the bridge, the path turned left, with a small trail diverging off to the right. An old sign was set up at the fork, indicating that left led to Viridian Forest, while right led to the lumber mill and the Viridian Gym. Blue followed the right path, intrigued.

_I should at least take a look before I head out. I might always get lucky, and the gym leader could have finally returned?_

Blue found himself passing the mill first, where an old man was complaining, wobbling about and waving his cane.

“I can’t keep doin’ this job ev-er-y day. I need a breeaaak! You theerrre, you got anything to drink?”

He hiccuped, then stumbled forward. 

“I have some water. If you’re looking for coffee though, I don’t have any.”

“Coffee! Something stronger, obviously!”

The old man leaned forward, and his breath reeked. Blue grimaced.

_That’s the way Thyme’s dad smelled when I used to see him heading home on my way to school. I don’t think I should stick around here._

“Oh, you’re just a kid. Welllll, ya want me to show you how ta catch a Pokémon? I was quiiite da trainer, back in the day!”

Blue slowly backed up to continue down the path, hoping to get away.

“Bah!! I got-ta pee anywayszz...”

Blue released a sigh of relief as the old man disappeared from sight around the building. He let Pidgey out, partly as company and partly to protect himself, then proceeded down the trail until the gym came into view.

It was a massive building, easily twice the size of the lab his grandfather used. The walls were covered in wooden shingles, though they seemed too dull, like they’d been sunbleached. Ivy grew up the left side, covering even some of the windows twenty feet up. There were no windows on the first floor, or what he imagined would be the second floor. The roof was a mix of reddish brown and an ugly sky green, as was the roof of the only other structure in the clearing. That building was smaller, like his own house back in Pallet, and built from stone. The clearing itself was overgrown with weeds and tall grass, though Blue didn’t hear any Pokémon.

_Alright, it’s clearly still closed. I’ll have to try again another time._

* * *

The path toward Viridian Forest eventually widened into something similar to Route 1, but with more dirt than gravel. Occasionally, Blue found himself walking around old hedges, and once he had to hop over a rock wall.

_Route 2 doesn’t seem as well kept as Route 1. Maybe Pewter City doesn’t maintain as much contact with Viridian as Pallet Town does?_

Patches of grass here were sparse, and Blue rarely heard more than the occasional squawks of a flock of Pidgey in the trees. The forest of this route was denser than the one he’d explored on Route 22, and didn’t seem easily navigable.

_I should try not to get lost in the woods. If I see a particular Pokémon and want to follow it, maybe, but I won’t run in aimlessly._

Blue rounded a mess of bushes and trees that jutted out onto the route, and found himself before a large field of tall grass. He thought he could see small breaks in the plant life, and occasionally Pidgey would flutter out of the grass and then reenter in another location.

_It’s going to be easy to get surrounded here. Maybe I should stick to the edges of the field?_

Blue carefully walked toward the right side of the clearing, watching for movement in the foliage. He saw nothing as he approached, but then suddenly caught movement out of the corner of his eye.

_“Ratatat!”_

A Rattata leapt toward him from behind, where there was a smaller patch of grass Blue hadn’t noticed.

“Pidgey, use Gust. Let’s wrap this up and then see what else is here.”

_“Dgeooh!”_

Pidgey defeated two more Rattata before they managed to fight their way to a break in the grass.

“Good job, Pidgey! You should take a break for now.”

Blue recalled Pidgey and took a look around himself. A small tree stood in the center of this clearing-within-a-clearing, and he could see a few spotted pink berries that he recognized from Route 22. He snagged a couple for himself as a snack, but when he started collecting more for later, a wild Pidgey burst out from the tree and flew away, causing him to drop them all on the ground.

A small, spiny, purple critter snuck out and grabbed one of the fallen fruit, then started to nibble at it.

_It has this weird feeling of deadly adorableness. I should catch it!_

_"Nidoran, the Poison Pin Pokémon. Number 029. Form: Male. Pure Poison-type. Base stats: 46, 57, 40, 50, 40, 40."_

_“Please note that the Male and Female forms were previously considered different species, until similar gender dimorphic patterns were observed in other regions. Male Nidoran were originally given the Pokédex number 033, which is now defunct.”_

_Alright. Not sure I needed to know that._

“Go, Rattata! Use Tackle!”

Rattata surged forward and knocked the Nidoran off the berry. The little rodent-like creature seemed more upset about having its lunch disturbed than being knocked over, and made a pouty squeaking sound. The Nidoran stood up again and flexed its bristles, then gave Rattata a critical, disappointed gaze.

_Is that Leer? That look is so different from Spearow’s “I’m going to kill you and pluck out your guts” face!_

“Rattata, use Tackle again!”

This time, when Nidoran got back up, it started to turn around, as if it was going to run back into the bushes.

“Quick Attack! Block it’s path!”

Rattata swept in at just the right angle, striking the nestling once more, and obstructing its way should it attempt to flee. Blue grabbed a ball from his bag.

“Great job, Rattata! My turn!”

Blue threw the ball at the disoriented Nidoran, which clearly did not know what to do in this situation, and it connected with its stomach. Rattata squealed excitedly as Nidoran was sucked into the ball, but it didn’t wiggle at all. It was just… caught.

“Alright, well it seems Nidoran has no complaints. Let’s try to find a female, and see if they’re as different as the Pokédex claims!”

* * *

Two hours later, and Blue was sitting on a fallen log by his tent, having set up camp a short hike from the field. His team of six Pokémon were out of their Poké Balls in front of him, eating their late lunch.

_I spent that long, and couldn’t find a single female. Rattata fought four males alone, even getting poisoned twice, and we ran away from three more, plus three Pidgeys and two Rattata. How do they reproduce if they have no girls?!_

Blue looked at Mankey and Nidoran, and pulled out his Pokédex, realizing he hadn’t checked their stats yet.

_“Mankey, Female. Ability: Anger Point. Moves: Covet, Low Kick, Focus Energy, Fury Swipes. Nature: Rash. IVs: Decent, Very Good, Fantastic, Decent, Pretty Good, Decent”_

_Well, Anger Point explains how she got irate and dangerous so quickly when Spearow hit her._

_“Nidoran, Male. Ability: Rivalry. Moves: Leer. Nature: Bashful. IVs: Pretty Good, Pretty Good, Decent, Decent, Decent, Pretty Good"_

_Rattata is female, so Rivalry caused Nidoran to be less interested in battling her. Leer can’t be his only move; some of the other Nidoran knew Peck, so it’s probably worth checking if he knows it too. Also, is there no tier between “Decent” and “No Good”? Does “Decent” really just mean bad?_

Blue munched on one of his protein bars, then held up the bag of trail mix, which was already a quarter empty.

_This is probably why trainers traditionally don’t carry more than six Pokémon in their party. Actually, I wouldn’t be surprised if some trainers keep even fewer with them while adventuring. Ugh, I should probably disable Mankey and Nidoran's EV gains..._

_“Dgeooottttoooo!”_

A shadow swept across his Pokémon, and Blue looked up to see a large bird diving into one of the small sub-clearings to his left. He frantically pulled out his Pokédex and walked forward, struggling to get a clear view of it.

_"Pidgeotto, the Bird Pokémon. Number 017. Normal Flying-type. Base stats: 63, 60, 50, 71, 50, 55."_

Blue watched as the pink feathers on its head swayed in the wind, then belatedly noticed something squirming between its claws. He couldn’t really see what it held, but he did see the Pidgeotto drive its head down and start ripping it apart with its beak.

“I really hope that wasn’t a Pokémon. Maybe it’s eating a squirrel, or a chipmunk?

_I haven’t seen either of those animals at all today… maybe that’s because they’d get eaten?_

_Is this really how Pokémon behave? Killing and eating one another like mindless animals?  
_

Blue didn’t want to dwell on the fact that the bird could just as easily have eaten his Rattata for lunch instead.

* * *

It was only about an hour before dark when Blue finally caught a glimpse of something a pale periwinkle color hiding in the grass.

_"Nidoran, the Poison Pin Pokémon. Number 029. Form: Female. Pure Poison-type. Base stats: 55, 47, 40, 41, 40, 52."_

He crept into the grass a fair distance away, then approached it from the other side and stomped forward, driving it into the clearing where Squirtle was waiting.

“Squirtle, use Water Gun!”

Just as the Nidoran exited the grass, Squirtle struck it head on with a small blast of water. Nidoran squealed desperately, then stood up and Growled at Squirtle.

“Rapid Spin!”

Before Squirtle could even process the command, Nidoran launched at him, attempting to Scratch at his face. Squirtle barely managed a dodge, taking a glancing cut along the side of its head. As Squirtle attempted to retaliate with a Rapid Spin, Nidoran jumped at him again, Scratching at its body.

_Rapid Spin might boost Squirtle's speed, but it takes longer to use. And that Nidoran does not want to behave._

“Water Gun!”

Squirtle managed to strike Nidoran in the side, knocking it over once more, then blasted it again as it floundered on the ground.

_Am I really teaching my Pokémon to be this merciless? Or is Nidoran bringing out this behavior in Squirtle, not me?_

Blue threw a Poké Ball, but the wild Nidoran broke out of it after just one shake, and the two halves of the ball flew in opposite directions.

_I’ll have to pick those up when we’re done._

Just as Nidoran started to turn away from the two of them, Blue sent out his male Nidoran to block the path.

“I know we haven’t practiced, but let’s see what you can do, Nidoran. Peck!”

The purple Pokémon performed the least enthusiastic attack Blue had ever seen, and even managed to miss. Blue chuckled.

“Well, at least we know what your type of girl is, Nidoran. Squirtle, use Rapid Spin!”

This time, when the blue Nidoran fell, it struggled to rise. The second Poké Ball took three shakes, but held.

“Good job, you two! Let’s head back to camp!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Blue's Party:  
>  **Squirtle**  
>  Ability: Rain Dish  
> Moves: Rapid Spin, Tail Whip, Water Gun, Withdraw
> 
> **Rattata**  
>  Ability: Guts  
> Moves: Tackle, Tail Whip, Quick Attack, Focus Energy
> 
> **Pidgey**  
>  Ability: Keen Eye  
> Moves: Tackle, Sand Attack, Gust
> 
> **Spearow**  
>  Ability: Keen Eye  
> Moves: Peck, Growl, Leer
> 
> **Mankey**  
>  Ability: Anger Point  
> Moves: Covet, Low Kick, Focus Energy, Fury Swipes
> 
> **Nidoran (M)**  
>  Ability: Rivalry  
> Moves: Leer, Poison Sting, Peck
> 
> **Nidoran (F)**  
>  Ability: Unknown  
> Moves: Growl, Poison Sting, Scratch


	13. Route 2, Part 2

The next morning, Blue woke up to whining in his tent.

_What is that noise? I just want to finish that dream; can’t I just…_

Blue’s female Nidoran Growled expressively toward his male Nidoran. Rattata and Squirtle were also awake. Blue could just barely make out the latter two through his crusted eyes, and they were standing between the two nestlings in a defensive posture.

“Hey, it’s early. Can we save the fighting until later? We can train and work off all your energy when I get back up.”

Blue picked up his male Nidoran, who was frightened enough to shy away from him as well, then petted him gently on the head, before taking him to his sleeping bag. Returning to sleep proved impossible, however.

_We have so much to do! I have to take a look at female Nidoran’s stats, prevent further fights, train the new team members, practice on some wild Pokémon… Should I even have this many with me? It can’t be sustainable. Do I go back to Viridian again already, or should I finish exploring Route 2?_

Blue sat up, releasing Nidoran from his hug, and looked toward his other Nidoran. She sat isolated in the corner, as if banished from the party.

_Even I know that that can’t be good for group dynamics._

Blue grabbed his bag, and got up to unzip the tent.

“Alright everyone, I guess we’re getting started early today.”

Blue set out five bowls of food, then called out Mankey and let the grounded members of his party start on their meals. He made sure to place the Nidoran apart from each other for now, and pulled out his Pokédex.

_“Nidoran, Female. Ability: Poison Point. Moves: Growl, Scratch. IVs: No Good, Pretty Good, Pretty Good, Decent, Pretty Good, Decent”_

_I don’t have enough information to determine her nature yet. But her form’s stat distribution suggests that she might be better as a defensive Pokémon. Of course, so does Squirtle’s…_

Blue focused her EV growth on health, and when the first of his Pokémon had finished breakfast, he filled it and the last plate with seeds and some berries from the tree next to his tent. Blue called out Pidgey and Spearow for breakfast, and then refilled the water bowl as well.

_I simply don’t have enough water for everyone at this rate, especially if Viridian Forest is as large as the map indicates. I could leave a Pokémon or two in stasis in their ball, but then I can’t train them with the others._

His female Nidoran nudged the male, then Growled. Blue managed to catch it this time.

“Nidoran, you, the blue one growling, bad girl. No bullying. Behave, or I’ll leave you in the city next time.”

She quieted down, and he petted the male again calmly.

“We’re going to start training altogether for now, then switch to groups after. Nidoran pink, Nidoran blue, Mankey, you should all watch and do what they do. I’ll give you some dried fruit if you do, alright? Back!”

“Dodge left!”

“Jump! Up!”

“Down!”

“Forward!”

“Dodge right!”

* * *

After doing universal movement drills, Blue separated Spearow and the Nidorans, and had them watch from the side, as the others practiced their moves on the trunk of the berry tree. He only had to reprimand the female Nidoran one more time before she seemed to stop picking on the male.

“Alright, now it’s you three. If you know a move, do it on the tree! Peck!”

“Growl!”

“Scratch!”

“Leer!

_I need to find some way to train Spearow so she’s not a risk in battle anymore._

Blue set out water for Pidgey, Mankey, Rattata and Squirtle while giving commands. The blue Nidoran picked it all up quickly, but it took longer for the pink one.

“Good job, everyone! Squirtle and Spearow, come here please!”

While the Nidorans approached the water bowl, Squirtle and Spearow came to Blue quickly.

“Squirtle, we need to help Spearow understand that we don’t want to permanently injure other Pokémon in battle. You’re the only one that can boost your physical defense, so we’re going to try on you alright? You’re also a higher level, so you should be able to take a little bit of training.”

Squirtle looked confused, and Spearow impatient. Blue sighed.

“I know, I don’t love the idea either. Squirtle, Withdraw twice!”

“Spearow, use Peck on Squirtle!”

Spearow took a second but then warily fluttered over to Spearow, aiming for his face.

“No! Not the head!”

Blue grabbed Spearow from the air, and she panicked. He held her tightly but not harshly, patting her until she calmed down. Then he pushed her, beak first, at Squirtle’s torso.

“Good Spearow!”

He moved Spearow up, and aimed at Squirtle’s face. His lack of flinching at the movement was a solid declaration of trust, and Blue smiled.

“Bad Spearow!”

“Good Spearow!”

“Good Spearow!”

After a few minutes of this, Blue released Spearow, and called for Withdraw and Peck again. Once it seemed that Spearow had figured it out, he rewarded both of them with a treat.

“But don’t do it to each other unless we’re practicing!”

_I really hope this doesn’t cause Spearow to become even more aggressive, thinking I’ll reward her for attacking her teammates. I just don’t know what else to do. I’ll just have to keep training Spearow and Nidoran blue specifically every day, until I’m confident they’ve learned. At least Spearow can practice on wild Pokémon too._

* * *

Blue set out that afternoon with two goals: Train his party against wild Pokémon, and find the entrance to Viridian Forest. His belt only had room for six Poké Balls, so he kept Pidgey in his battle bag, since he felt it was of a higher level than the rest of the party. He felt the same way about Squirtle, but he wanted one of his two Pokémon with a ranged attack on hand, just in case.

As he hopped between breaks in the grass, Blue kept a close eye on the sky, watching for the larger shadow that would indicate the Pidgeotto from the day before had returned to hunt. He also searched for anything unusual, such as another berry or apricorn tree, or random item laying in the grass, but the route had few remarkable features.

The one thing Route 2 did have plenty of was low level Pokémon, which was exactly what Blue needed.

“Nidoran, use Growl, then dodge left!”

_That enemy Nidoran seems incredibly riled up. I’m guessing it has Rivalry. It will probably make some hasty decisions, which we can take advantage of._

“Good job, now Scratch, then back!”

“Right, then Scratch, and right again! Don’t let it catch you!”

_She might not be the best team player, but it does seem like my female Nidoran has good battle sense._

The enemy Nidoran was left panting and defensive after the last blow, and Blue made sure to leave a path for it to flee.

_I want to train, but I don’t want the wild Pokémon to become desperate when cornered, that might lead to my party taking dangerous hits. Conversely, I don’t want to do too much damage to them, as I don’t want to have to catch them and rush them to the Pokémon Center if they take serious injuries._

Thankfully, Nidoran seemed content to merely beat up her kin, as opposed to wrecking them. Blue let her deal with all blue Nidoran, since they gave health EVs, and left the Rattata and Pidgey to his other Pokémon.

_That there is a male Nidoran, though, so I’ll leave it alone. It’s not worth risking poisoning from Poison Point, especially since none of my Pokémon are training for physical attack EVs._

A tuft of feather poked out of the grass to Blue’s left, not too close to the eastern edge of the clearing.

_A lone Pidgey! This is a good chance to have Spearow practice her aerial attacks, and hopefully her restraint too._

“Spearow, use Leer!”

The wild bird turned when it heard Blue’s voice, and met Spearow’s fierce gaze. He almost chuckled when he saw it shudder.

_When this thing takes flight, it won’t be easy for Spearow to hit it. Lowering its physical defense with Leer should make it so each individual strike has great effect._

“Great, up, then Peck!”

Spearow fluttered into the air, then dove toward the Pidgey, which seemed too shocked to respond immediately. Spearow ended up Pecking it on the side of the neck, then following it into the air when it took off.

_While I don’t love the idea of Spearow ripping out a Pidgey’s throat, the blow seemed less violent this time. Is there a better place? I don’t want it blinded or permanently grounded._

“Peck again, Spearow!”

The Pidgey attempted to dodge toward the woods, but Spearow was faster and cut it off, scaring back toward the ground. She then struck it in the back with her beak.

“Good job, Spearow! Come back, so we can keep looking for more Pokémon to train on.”

Spearow didn’t seem inclined to return, and followed the Pidgey as it limped toward the treeline.

_Crap, I can’t let her do any serious damage. I don’t want to let her get used to that kind of thing!_

Blue ran forward until he was close enough to recall her with the ball, and she didn’t fight it. He breathed a sigh of relief as the Pidgey got away, hoping it hadn’t taken any lasting injuries.

_I didn’t see any particularly dangerous strikes; hopefully it’s just in shock._

Blue took the opportunity to take stock of his surroundings. He was in a larger clearing among the grass, one that left him feeling particularly exposed. He could see the remains of the Route 2 path running through it, continuing north into the foliage. However, it also seemed to turn east? Blue followed the divergent path to where it met the woods.

_These specific trees here don’t seem to be the same type as the others; they seem a bit younger and smaller, though not much more passable._

The path had long since been broken down, and one of the trees grew right through the center of it. Beyond it he could see a tangle of thorns and grapevines, allergenic ivy and sumac shrubs. There even was the occasional dash of blue or purple moving among the greenery.

_The Nidoran must nest in there; that’s why there are so few on the main route compared to Pidgey and Rattata. Not sure I even want to try to get in there though._

Blue looked at his bare calves.

_Definitely not._

* * *

It was late afternoon before Blue found his second goal, a guide post indicating the path into Viridian Forest. From his vantage point, it seemed like a meandering route into the brush, that would hopefully lead into the forest proper.

The entrance wasn’t the only thing Blue found, however.

“Heeey, you look powerful, don’t you? C’mon, we should have a battle!”

A short boy, even younger than Blue, was camped near the signpost. He wore a broad flat hat with a red stripe, and carried a large net at the end of a pole bigger than he was.

_Bug catcher, maybe? Although, I feel like they could probably escape the net pretty easily? He seems annoying, but… maybe I could use the practice._

“Sure. My name’s Blue. Are you on your Pokémon journey too?”

“Oh, no! I’m just camping out here to train my Pokémon! My dad got it for me, because I’ve always wanted a Bug-type, and after it hatched, he said we could take a short camping trip! He’s getting some more water and supplies from the city. Uh, oh, my name is Hans!”

Blue nodded, a little overwhelmed by Hans’ enthusiasm after so many days away from other kids.

“Let’s find out who’s the most powerful trainer!”

Blue raised an eyebrow, but then obliged and grabbed a ball from his belt to call out his male Nidoran, while Hans sent out a small red crab with mushrooms on its back.

_I sent out Nidoran since he had a super effective move, and would be immune to poisoning from a Bug-type. I didn’t expect that though._

_"Paras, the Mushroom Pokémon. Number 046. Bug Grass-type. Base stats: 35, 70, 45, 25, 55, 55."_

_That must be the slowest Pokémon I’ve seen on my journey so far. It really must not like Flying or Fire-type moves either. Why would someone use this?_

“Paras, use Stun Spore!”

“Dodge left! Don’t let it hit you with that!”

Nidoran barely managed to avoid the glittering dust that filled the air, as the wind caused it to drift.

“Stun Spore again!”

_He’s not giving me any time to react. I can’t get distracted!_

“Dodge right and then forward, get in close!”

Nidoran had an easier time dodging this one, and attempted to close the gap.

_The closer they are though, the harder it will be to dodge the Stun Spore._

“Stun Spore again!”

“Peck!”

Nidoran had no hope of evading the spores, so Blue sent him in head on at the crustacean. However, his vision was temporarily impaired due to the dust, and he missed and ended up paralyzed for his efforts.

“Back, then left and Peck again!”

“Pursuit!”

_Wait, what? It can learn Pursuit?_

Nidoran fell back and was rewarded with a strike in the face from Paras’ claw. He slid back on the ground, then trembled as he was unable to complete Blue’s commands. However, he did look worked up.

_Rivalry, maybe? Do we only need to land one or two hits then? 4× damage for double super effective, then 1.25× for Rivalry. 5× damage, and its health stat was almost as low as its speed!_

“Pursuit is a breeding move for Paras! It can only be learned by hatching from an egg where the father was a Pokémon knowing Pursuit, such as a Beedrill. My Paras is special!”

“I’ll show you special! Nidoran, forward, then Peck that thing in the mushroom!”

“Fell Stinger! Let’s knock it out and double your physical attack, Paras!”

Nidoran struggled to stand, and was unable to advance. Paras crawled toward him and lunged, striking at its chest with its claw. However, Nidoran did not fail his attempt at Blue’s second command, and Pecked Paras’ mushroom, causing him to avoid its attack in the process.

“Great job, one more time! Jump, then Peck, Nidoran!”

“Fell Stinger! Knock it out, Paras!”

Nidoran’s speed was so hindered by the paralysis, that the delay caused him to successfully jump over Paras’ attack, which he normally would have been much faster than. He landed on top of Paras’ shell, but succumbed to paralysis, collapsing on top of it.

“No, you won’t be able to reach it there! Use Absorb, suck it dry, Paras!”

“Come on, Nidoran, Peck!”

Paras managed to Absorb some of Nidoran’s health, but it didn’t seem to do much. Nidoran finally managed to get his second Peck off, and the Paras buckled to the ground, unconscious.

_It must have been the combination of Absorb’s low power, Paras’ low special attack, and Poison-types resisting Grass attacks. It just wasn’t able to heal enough._

“Paras!! No!!!”

“Great job, Nidoran! Let me heal you up. Hans, do you have any more Pokémon in your party? If you’d like we can battle a couple more.”

“C’mon, your Nidoran was way too strong!”

He looked like he was stifling tears.

“Hey, toughen up. I’ve already lost two battles on this journey, against my rival even! You and Paras just need to train and build up your strength. Your strategy was good, Paras just isn’t great against certain types.”

Hans gave him an angry look while he cradled his injured Pokémon.

“Do you need any potions? I can’t buy a Revive, but it might wake up before you get to Viridian.”

Blue pulled out a Paralysis Heal and a Potion, and started administering first aid to his Nidoran.

“No, it’s alright, my dad brought some healing items. But you’re right. Dad always says something like that.”

* * *

Blue’s Pokémon relaxed and played around his small campfire after dusk that night, while he put together dinner for them all.

_Did I look like that, when I lost to Red? Am I that pathetic too?_

Blue updated his Pokédex to reflect the new moves that his Pokémon had learned after battling today, as he watched Squirtle and Pidgey socialize, having been in their balls since lunchtime.

_I need to do a little more training then, I’ll head back to Viridian and leave three of them at the Pokémon Center for a little while. The PC has a Poké Ball storage system tube attached, so they’ll be safe there while we explore the forest._

Some commotion drew Blue’s eye. His female Nidoran had apparently stolen some food from Pidgey’s dish, and had earned quite the bit of squawking. She seemed a little embarrassed, but not enough that she wouldn’t do it again.

_At least she’s not picking on one Pokémon. And the other Pokémon seem to like her well enough, they just don’t let her get away with it._

He navigated to her nature determination quiz, which eventually informed him that she was naughty.

_Right. I could’ve figured that out on my own a lot faster. Is this really the best you’ve got, Gramps?_

Blue looked out at his Pokémon and smiled, but then shuddered as Squirtle rolled on the ground playfully, reminding him of his spasming during Blue’s defeat on Route 22.

_Don’t think about that. Just focus on the task at hand and move forward. That’s what Daisy always says to do, right?_

So then why didn’t he feel any better?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Blue's Party:  
>  **Squirtle**  
>  Ability: Rain Dish  
> Moves: Rapid Spin, Tail Whip, Water Gun, Withdraw
> 
>  **Rattata**  
>  Ability: Guts  
> Moves: Tackle, Tail Whip, Quick Attack, Focus Energy
> 
>  **Pidgey**  
>  Ability: Keen Eye  
> Moves: Tackle, Sand Attack, Gust
> 
>  **Spearow**  
>  Ability: Keen Eye  
> Moves: Peck, Growl, Leer, Pursuit
> 
>  **Mankey**  
>  Ability: Anger Point  
> Moves: Covet, Low Kick, Focus Energy, Fury Swipes
> 
>  **Nidoran (M)**  
>  Ability: Rivalry  
> Moves: Leer, Poison Sting, Peck
> 
>  **Nidoran (F)**  
>  Ability: Poison Point  
> Moves: Growl, Poison Sting, Tail Whip


	14. Viridian Forest

Blue grinned as he found the sign indicating the entrance to Viridian Forest, just a few yards away from where Hans had been camped two days before. On his belt were just four Poké Balls; he had brought Squirtle and Pidgey for their range, Mankey for her diverse moveset, and Nidoran for her immunity to poisoning. The late morning sun glistened above him, forcing him to shield and squint his eyes as he read the sign.

Blue knew that Viridian Forest was supposed to be full of poisonous Bug-types, and had even heard a pair of trainers refer to it as a maze. He had suspected the latter was exaggerated, but had stocked up on Potions, Antidotes and extra food anyway.

_“Viridian Forest:_ _  
_ _Natural hazards include poisonous foliage and Pokémon, lack of potable water, visual impairment and severe disorientation. Enter at your own risk.”_

_Maybe it’s not as unfounded as I thought._

Blue’s gear settled down on his back as he took in a deep breath, then started forward into the forest, passing beautiful ferns and underbrush, bathing in the summer light. It slowly became apparent that this was not the norm, however.

Blue followed the path until it crested a ridge, where he could see down aways. The trees had slowly been growing older, with larger branches intertwining above to form a canopy, but downhill was far more extreme. It was nearly noon, but the ground was barely lit, and he couldn’t see much of what would only have been a block or two away in Viridian City.

Down in the forest proper, the trees were tough and gnarled, with dead and broken branches up the sides. Rocks and pitfalls littered the trail, which seemed to mostly disappear into the forest floor, where dead pine needles covered everything.

_That, and the ivy. There’s so much!_

Itching ivy grew everywhere, up trees in thick woody vines, along the ground in endless swarms, and even in free-standing bushes, which Blue had to avoid rubbing against.

_This is just disgusting. Hairy snakes climbing and strangling every tree, and these shrubs, which don’t even make sense. Of course this is a Poison-type habitat, but I still think it should be completely cut down. Is there even enough space to camp?_

Blue tried his hardest to avoid brushing his pant legs and shoes against the leaves, but there was no helping it. At the base of the hill, Blue found that his surroundings were largely indistinguishable; the ridge he had descended was likely only one of many in the forest, and the trunks of trees did not vary greatly in size, bark or ivy coverage.

It seemed that the darkest parts of the forest were also the ones least infested with the itching ivy, which meant Blue found himself struggling in the dark in order to avoid a full body rash. Eventually, he stopped and pulled out his flashlight, which he hadn’t expected to need so soon. Thankfully, he’d gotten new extra batteries when he’d recharged his Pokédex, just in case.

_I think I’m generally going west, as the ivy is confining the direction I can travel. I ultimately want to be traveling north. Why didn’t I bring a compass?_

An orange bug with a big red nose and a sharp stinger on its head crept out of the ivy beside him. It looked at him, bristling its thin brown down that made it look like some grotesque woody ivy vine that had developed a mind of its own. Then, it spewed a sticky white film all over Blue’s shoe.

_Okay, that’s so much grosser in person._

“Let’s go, Pidgey! Don’t touch any of the plants, and use Gust!”

Pidgey fluttered about briefly and Blue carefully backed away from the bug as it thrust out its stinger, then struck the Weedle with a strong blast of wind. 

_"Weedle, the Hairy Bug Pokémon. Number 013. Bug Poison-type. Base stats: 40, 35, 20, 50, 20, 30."_

Then, the Weedle just collapsed.

_Could Pidgey be overleveled for this area? STAB, super effective, horrible special defense, higher level…_

Blue tossed a Poké Ball at it, and sighed gratefully not when it was caught, but when the ball landed outside the ivy. It had been less than a year since his last case of itching ivy, and he hated the feeling of the tiny bumpy rashes all over his hands more than even the itch itself.

_If the ball had fallen into the ivy, would I have just left Weedle there, stuck in the ball forever? Do Pokémon die if left in their balls for too long? How far can stasis go?_

Blue shuddered but kept trudging along, determined to find a cleaner place to set down so he and his party could eat lunch.

* * *

An hour later, and Blue had long since given up mentally, starving but too frustrated to care, when he somehow found himself in a large clearing. The ground was strange here, like it had been covered in a combination of ash and salt, and there was a fire pit dug into the ground. The pit itself was empty and cold, which was good, since burning itching ivy could kill you.

A bug catcher sat on the ground nearby, a few feet from a cache which sat atop a pole. Inside the open door, Blue could see a number of Potions and Antidotes. The other trainer waved to Blue, as he rounded the unusual object. The back had a sign:

_“This is a Ranger Post._ _  
_ _Take a Potion or Antidote if needed, but please leave them for others in need._ _  
_ _Rangers visit each station once per day; please wait here if you need assistance.”_

Blue had heard about Pokémon Rangers, of course. They were responsible for maintaining Kanto’s various routes, and investigated reports of dangerous Pokémon. They also performed search and rescue operations, and did surveys to monitor biome health and Pokémon and animal diversity.

Training to be a Ranger was also the only non-League profession that still expected their applicants to perform the regional journey tour. Of course, it was usually only considered around age 16 nowadays; the tradition of starting at a younger age in order to be ready for enlistment had become less popular in the last ten years.

“My name’s Blue. Is there any chance you’d be interested in a battle? I think my Pokémon would appreciate the chance to get out of their balls.”

“Sure! I’m Rick. Give me a second… alright, c’mon, let’s battle!”

Rick sent out his Weedle, while Blue called out Pidgey again.

The battle went by so fast, Blue was sincerely wondering if he’d cheated. Rick’s Weedle and Caterpie both had trouble fighting Pidgey, since they only had String Shot and physical attacks. Blue just had Pidgey hit them with Gust from the air, and they went down quickly.

“Even Caterpie couldn’t hit it!”

Blue nodded, opening his new Pokédex entry, and paused a moment to read it:

_"Caterpie, the Worm Pokémon. Number 010. Pure Bug-type. Base stats: 45, 30, 20, 45, 20, 35."_

“Rick, Caterpie and Weedle both have low stats, even compared to other unevolved Pokémon. Perhaps you just need to train them until they evolve.”

Rick mumbled something and brought his Pokémon back out to heal them, and Blue did the same. After healing Weedle, he let his party play around and stretch their legs while he set up lunch. He was surprised to find Weedle ignoring its bowl, and he watched it crawl to the itching ivy and start eating it. Then, Nidoran scurried over and joined it.

_Alright, neither of them is getting cuddles until they’ve had a thorough bath._

Blue took another look at Weedle as he pulled out his Pokédex again, and grimaced.

_Actually, Weedle is probably never getting cuddles._

_“Weedle, Male. Ability: Shield Dust. Moves: Poison Sting, String Shot. IVs: Decent, Pretty Good, Pretty Good, Pretty Good, No Good, Decent”_

As Blue was rereading the new data, most of his Pokémon started trembling. Weedle and Nidoran hid in the ivy, while Pidgey and Mankey hurried over to Blue for protection. A few seconds later, a majestic bird with elegant vermilion and honey-colored plumage touched down in the center of the clearing, and a young man hopped off its back.

The bird was at least five feet all, and it danced in a small circle before folding its wings and settling down. It started to clean its feathers with its beak, pecking around the bands of its harness. The man dusted off his black shorts, then fixed his signature red ranger’s jacket. He waved toward Blue.

“Hello! I’m Ranger Aaron. Do you need assistance?”

It took a second for Blue to realize that the ranger was asking him.

“Oh, no, I’m fine. Just wanted a place to eat lunch without having to worry about catching a rash.”

Aaron nodded and turned toward Rick, but Blue tuned out the conversation. He had seen Pidgeot on television and trading cards before, but in person was a very different experience.

_"Pidgeot, the Bird Pokémon. Number 018. Normal Flying-type. Base stats: 83, 80, 70, 101, 70, 75."_

Blue’s Pokémon peaked out from behind his legs, and he called to his party, hoping to reassure them.

_Do Pidgeot eat small Pokémon like mine? It’s so big, it must need a lot of food to keep going. They taught us about feeding Pokémon like Rattata and Pikachu, but I don’t remember anything about large, carnivorous Pokémon. Were they afraid we couldn’t handle the truth?_

Blue remembered his reaction to seeing the Pidgeotto on Route 2, which had gruesomely ripped apart a Rattata. He’d seen the carcass later, or at least what was left of it.

_I guess, maybe that makes sense._

* * *

It didn’t take Blue too long to find his first Caterpie. While the Weedle appeared to enjoy the ground ivy, it seemed that Caterpie preferred other plants, and would congregate around fallen branches or trees covered in benign types of ivy. Those were more common than Blue had first realized, as their five leaf pattern blended in with the more frequent three leaf. The hardest part was actually getting to one of those trees.

Blue hopped over a patch of itching ivy, then onto a rock, and then stumbled on his last jump, catching himself with his hands, his face just inches from a bright green caterpillar that was eating its way out from underneath a fallen pine branch. It had big, round black eyes and a strange y-shaped antenna on its forehead. It made chewing sounds, looking at him curiously.

“Uh, hello there, little fella. Are you enjoying your leaves?”

It kept munching, not taking its eyes off him. Blue slowly got to his knees, trying to act unintimidating.

“I have some Pokémon who would love to meet you. We like to make new friends.”

Caterpie kept munching.

_“Caterpie, Male. Ability: Shield Dust. Moves: None. IVs: Decent, Very Good, Fantastic, Decent, Pretty Good, Decent”_

_It probably has Tackle and String Shot, since that’s what Rick’s had. We can check tomorrow, when we do morning training._

“Alright, um, I’m just going to tap you with this Poké Ball. You can stay in it if you’d like to come. I’ll bring this branch with us too, so you can keep eating.”

Caterpie moved forward slightly, then started munching again.

“Okay, yeah. Sure?”

Blue lightly tapped the caterpillar with the ball, which he then held up in his hand as it shook and came to a stop.

Blue shrugged and looked around embarrassed, but when he saw no one else there, he picked up the branch and started hopping back over the ivy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Blue's Party:  
>  **Squirtle**  
>  Ability: Rain Dish  
> Moves: Rapid Spin, Tail Whip, Water Gun, Withdraw
> 
> **Pidgey**  
>  Ability: Keen Eye  
> Moves: Tackle, Sand Attack, Gust
> 
> **Mankey**  
>  Ability: Anger Point  
> Moves: Covet, Low Kick, Focus Energy, Karate Chop
> 
> **Nidoran (F)**  
>  Ability: Poison Point  
> Moves: Growl, Poison Sting, Scratch, Tail Whip
> 
> **Weedle**  
>  Ability: Shield Dust  
> Moves: Poison Sting, String Shot
> 
> **Caterpie**  
>  Ability: Shield Dust  
> Moves: Unknown, Unknown


	15. Viridian Forest, Part 2

Blue unzipped his tent and exited to stretch out, while Squirtle groggily climbed out of the sleeping bag. The canopy was as dark as ever, but Blue’s watch indicated it was past sunrise.

_Time is a little funky here._

The two of them yawned, and then Blue called out his team, which had somehow already grown back up to including six members. As he crouched down to dish out food, Weedle inched past the other tent in the clearing. Rick had left with Ranger Aaron the day before, who seemed happy to show the kid the way out. When Blue had returned after exploring, a new boy named Anthony had set up camp. Pidgey had easily wiped out his two Caterpie, then gone back to cleaning his feathers.

_Maybe fighting Bug-type specialists with Pidgey is a little excessive? Although, each gym battle is going to be a similar situation. Am I the unusual one by not focusing on one type?_

After he and his party had all been watered and fed, Blue stood up to begin the day’s training, but then stopped short.

_There’s not really anything to train with here, and the space itself is limited. Maybe we should try something different today?_

“Alright, today we’re going to do some other exercises that I’ve been debating. Everyone follow me!”

Blue started to jog in circles around the periphery of the clearing, as Squirtle and Mankey jumped up to follow him. Pidgey flew across the circle a few times instead of around it, and Nidoran actually ran the opposite direction. Weedle and Caterpie crawled around slowly, though Weedle kept stopping every few feet to grab more leaves, while Caterpie waited for him. Blue had to jump over his Pokémon several times per lap.

“Alright guys, that wasn’t amazing, but at least everyone got some exercise. Let’s line up for some directional drills.”

Blue got in formation with them, having decided he could use some dodging practice as well, and started calling out commands. Every now and then, he’d give out some treats and commend everyone. Weedle and Caterpie seemed happy to try, but weren’t exactly the most mobile. Jumping, for example, was clearly not their forte.

Sometime during the drills, Anthony got up and rubbed his eyes before calling out his two bugs. They munched on some leaves he pulled from a bag, while he watched Blue and his team curiously.

“You’re a strange kid, you know that? I’ve haven’t seen anyone else train like this.”

“How many high level trainers have you seen around here, Anthony? I need to be ready to beat the strongest wild Pokémon if I’m going to complete the Pokédex.”

Anthony gave an impressed look, and nodded.

“What’s a Pokédex?”

“It’s a device that catalogs every Pokémon you see or catch and works like an encyclopedia. See?”

Blue got out his Pokédex, and showed Anthony his Caterpie entry.

“It also has some useful functions, like tracking IVs and EVs and natures and other important competitive information.”

“Oh, that’s cool! But, why do you need to ‘complete’ it? Isn’t the data already in there?”

Blue bit back a retort.

_It… it has to be, right? It knows Pokémon numbers, can determine abilities with a scan, and knows the details of any move I input._

_Why_ am _I trying to “complete” it?_

“I don’t know. I guess, completing it would allow me to have an accessible source of data about every Pokémon? And by filling it out myself, I can learn all of it through experience? I feel like I’ve learned a lot more in the last two weeks than in six years of school, so that makes sense.”

_Maybe?_

Anthony nodded, apparently satisfied with the answer.

_Something about it all still rings hollow._

* * *

Blue plodded along the edge of the ivy, hopping between rocks and clearings while exploring back toward the east. He had packed up camp and set off, hoping to find something beyond the Ranger Station.

He shined his flashlight on each tree he passed, checking for Bug-type inhabitants. A few times, he found Weedle chewing leaves on trees completely surrounded by itching ivy, which he was forced to ignore. It was hard to be sure that he was headed east, or even that he was headed straight, with no sun and the inability to just walk forward.

Blue found himself at the edge of a patch of five-leaved ivy. It took him a moment to confirm that there were no three-leaved plants hiding in the undergrowth, but when he was certain, he carefully waded in. It was several minutes before Blue realized that he could see better in this part of the forest, as the canopy above became less dense.

As he searched, he came upon a small stream, which slowly crept through this section of the woods. Trees were congregated around it, but not so close as to stand in it. The water itself looked dark and brackish, as if mixed with grime or contaminated by Poison-type Pokémon.

_Well, the sign did say “lack of potable water”, not that no water existed at all._

Blue turned to his right and jumped back in surprise, as he found himself face to face with a large, elongated green face with a giant nose and stretched out chin. Its eyes were open, gazing at him accusingly.

_Wow, that’s frightening in dim light._

Blue looked around and saw a second chrysalis propped up and to the right of the first, in the nook of a branch. The first was simply attached to the tree’s trunk.

_Alright, this should be easy training at least. Everyone always joked about how useless Metapod and Kakuna were, since they can only use Harden._

_"Metapod, the Cocoon Pokémon. Number 011. Pure Bug-type. Base stats: 50, 20, 25, 30, 25, 55."_

“Go, Caterpie! Let’s get some experience. We won’t get any EVs from this, since it appears to give physical defense instead of speed, but let’s try a Tackle!”

Caterpie climbed up the tree as quickly as he could, which was not particularly fast, then nudged the Metapod from the side. He hit successfully, but unfortunately could not maintain his hold at the same time, and fell into the ivy. Metapod responded by glowing briefly, but nothing else happened.

“Caterpie, you good?”

Caterpie got back up and made a soft chirping sound. Blue reached and picked him up and turned to the Metapod.

_It almost seems… shinier, maybe?_

“I’ll hold you up so you don’t fall. You focus on the battle, alright? Tackle!”

It took seven hits, but eventually the Metapod closed its eyes and stopped responding to Blue and Caterpie.

“Good job, Caterpie! Do you think we should catch it?”

_Caterpie will eventually evolve into Metapod, and I don’t think I need any duplicate Pokémon?_

Blue frowned and looked at his Caterpie.

“We’ll just let him rest and recover, and focus on your training. I bet you’ll be an even better Metapod than these!”

_“Pie!”_

The next Metapod went more smoothly, and after Blue found another treeful, they had established a neat rhythm.

_I don’t know how long Caterpie can keep training. It’s only three battles, but using a move more than twenty times after already doing a workout this morning…”_

“Caterpie, do you need a— woah!”

Caterpie was giving off faint pulses of light green light, and as Blue watched, they got stronger as the intervals between them became shorter. It accelerated until it became a single bright green glow, then burst and faded.

“Cater— I mean, Metapod, you evolved! Nice job!”

Metapod glowed softly then faded, as the other Metapod had earlier.

“Harden? Well, that makes sense. Can you still use Tackle?”

Metapod leapt forward from the branch it had been battling on, and Tackled the unconscious wild Metapod they had just finished battling.

“Oh, uh, let’s practice on a different one. Here, try String Shot again?”

As Blue watched, Metapod spurt the familiar gray-white sticky substance at the new target.

_Maybe wild Metapod end up forgetting their old Caterpie moves due to disuse?_

“Good job, Metapod! Let’s finish up this one, and see if there aren’t some more around. I bet evolved Pokémon give better experience, and these are particularly easy to fight.”

_“Mmmmet-ta.”_

* * *

After another battle, Blue switched out Metapod for Weedle, hoping to do more of the same. He held Weedle up between himself and another wild Metapod.

“Hi, Weedle. We’re going to do some training on these Metapod, alright? Show me your Poison Sting.”

Weedle struck the green cocoon with its sharp horn. The Metapod just used Harden, but it still took more than ten Poison Stings to make it faint.

“Looks like we’re not doing as much damage. With STAB, your Poison Sting should be comparable to Caterpie’s Tackle, but it looks like it’s not. Maybe you’re a lower level?”

Blue found another chrysalis, but this time, Metapod’s skin grew into a dark purple in an inky blotch stemming from the site of the third Poison Sting.

_Poisoned? That should speed up the process!_

After another sting, however, that section of Metapod’s shell just fell off its body, showing another layer beneath.

“Wow, it shed its skin. Alright, we can still do this, Weedle, Poison Sting until it faints!”

Two Metapod later, and Weedle was clearly showing signs of exhaustion. He was moving much more slowly, and sometimes missed or the Metapod would get to Harden twice before Weedle could respond.

“Hey, let’s take a break for food and snacks. You can see how your friend Metapod is doing after his evolution, too.”

Weedle seemed intent to keep going, so Blue let him finish the battle, but then picked him up and walked over to sit on a rock by the stream. He brought out his party and the dishes, looking over to check that his camping bag was still a few trees away, where he’d left it.

“Look, everyone, Caterpie evolved into Metapod! What do you guys think?”

Squirtle immediately looked excited, running up to Metapod and looking at him, then turning around and using Withdraw, as if showing his shell too. Weedle crawled over and undulated, making squeaking noises. Nidoran actually had the gall to push Metapod over.

“Nidoran, play nice! If you couldn’t walk, you wouldn’t want your friends to shove you down!”

Nidoran looked faintly embarrassed, but Metapod still sounded happy, and Squirtle and Mankey helped him upright again.

_Definitely Naughty. Oh, let’s check on Weedle and Metapod’s natures. I should update that Caterpie evolved too._

_“Metapod, Male. Ability: Shed Skin. Moves: Tackle, String Shot, Harden. Nature: Mild.”_

The Pokédex indicated that Gentle was also a possibility, though it was less likely.

_And it looks like Metapod developed Shed Skin to replace Shield Dust when it evolved. That might be an ability common to the entire species?_

_“Weedle, Male. Ability: Shield Dust. Moves: Poison Sting, String Shot. Nature: Adamant.”_

_That’s the best nature possible for a physical attacker, right? Nice!_

Blue noticed that his Pokémon seemed fine to drink from the stream, even though he had set out a water bowl. It didn’t look healthy for humans, but the plethora of Metapod nearby suggested it was good enough even for non-Poison-type Pokémon.

Blue felt a drop of water hit his nose.

_Huh? Rain?_

The forest had gotten darker again, even though Blue hadn’t changed locations. He looked up out of instinct, but there wasn’t much to see with the trees blocking the sky. He blinked as another droplet hit his arm, then a third his eye.

“Everyone but Squirtle, let’s pack up. We should take cover before it rains.”

Blue recalled his party and jogged over to his camping bag. It was falling more steadily now, and there wasn’t any clearing large enough to set up his tent. He looked around.

The last large clearing was too far back, and with the storm, he wasn’t sure if he could navigate the darkest parts of the forest without running into the itching ivy. He could follow the stream, but there wouldn’t be much cover there in all likelihood. There was also the other direction.

_There! That tree’s roots jut out almost like a claw from the side of the mound it’s on. Maybe there’s enough space to keep dry!_

Blue leapt back over the stream, and barely managed to catch himself as his sneaker slipped on the slick rock beneath him. Squirtle happily jumped into the water with a splash, and scuttled his way across. The two of them picked up more speed, trying to avoid the ivy where possible.

Blue slid across the softening ground as he attempted to come to a stop under the overhang. He was forced to bend down to fit, and Squirtle danced a bit when he caught up. Blue shook the water out of his hair.

_Let me dry off my flashlight. It’s just going to get harder to see._

Blue looked down at his sodden clothes, then unzipped his pants and dried the glass piece on his underwear. After fixing his pants again, he shined the light around him. There wasn’t much to see except for what appeared to a dark void in the mound.

“What do you think, Squirtle? Scary, dry, or both?”

_“Squirt?”_

_Yeah, I don’t know._

He bent down to pat the little turtle’s head, then checked the ground to confirm it was reasonably dry before setting down his bag. He could still feel the occasional droplet against his face, as the rain spattered and bounced off nearby foliage.

_If the shower keeps up, this won’t keep us dry._

Blue turned back toward the hole, still unable to see anything inside. He took a deep breath, then looked at Squirtle.

“Stay here for a second, alright? I’m going to take a look.”

_What if there’s a Pokémon in there? What if there’s an entire nest?_

Blue paled slightly.

_What if there is, and we’re left completely surprised by it when it comes out, because we didn’t check first? I’d rather know._

Blue moved forward in his crouch, then leaned with his free hand on the edge of the hole. The tree’s roots had formed a frame of sorts, and was able to support his weight. He bent down and stuck his flashlight hand and head in first, then brought his legs in second.

_I can just barely fit in a crouch, but it’s too narrow to follow this way._

Blue adjusted to a crawling position, his hand and knees on the ground. His palm told him that the earth here was packed flat, and he could see the occasional root jutting from the tunnel’s walls like jagged, gruesome tentacles.

_It’s just a tunnel._

Blue steeled himself and inched on downward until he came upon a small chamber. The ceiling was high enough here to sit comfortably, though it had a small hole about an inch or two wide drilled straight up into the wood, and his flashlight illuminated something like a pattern on the walls about him. About a third of the ground beneath was perfectly flattened in a rectangular shape, about seven feet long. Off to the side, a disk case gleamed. Squirtle scampered over, then brought it to Blue in his little reptilian hands.

_Another TM?_

He popped open the lid, and found a note on a slip of paper inside, across from another small disk.

_“Welcome to my meditation chamber! Please leave it in the same shape you found it, and feel free to accept this TM. Not many people manage to find my little alcoves, so consider this a reward. -Sabrina”_

“Huh, what do you know, Squirtle? Sabrina herself! I wonder what move it teaches…”

Blue pulled out his Pokédex, which eventually informed him:

_"Zen Headbutt: Psychic-type physical contact move, medium power and accuracy; has a higher chance to cause the target to flinch."_

_It seems useful enough. I wonder if any of my Pokémon can learn it?_

_“Owned Pokémon that can learn Zen Headbutt: Squirtle, Rattata”_

“Squirtle, you can learn this one!”

_“Squirt-squirt!”_

The Pokémon jumped up and ran over excitedly, climbing into Blue’s lap. He attempted to look at the Pokédex screen, but wasn’t quite able to reach.

“Haha, here let me show you. It’s Zen Headbutt, which seems like a good physical Psychic move. It might be useful against the Weedles around here, but it obviously won’t help against the Rock gym in Pewter City. I don’t really know if it’s worth it, to be honest.”

_“Squir...tle.”_

The turtle gave Blue a look of disappointment.

“Hey, you can still learn it if you want though. Tail Whip, Withdraw and Rapid Spin are all useful moves, but if you’d prefer to learn Zen Headbutt instead of one of them, we can do that.”

_“Squiirt!”_

“Alright, then. Let’s let everybody out and get settled in, then we can all figure out this TM business together.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Blue's Party:  
>  **Squirtle**  
>  Ability: Rain Dish  
> Moves: Rapid Spin, Zen Headbutt, Water Gun, Withdraw
> 
> **Pidgey**  
>  Ability: Keen Eye  
> Moves: Tackle, Sand Attack, Gust
> 
> **Mankey**  
>  Ability: Anger Point  
> Moves: Covet, Low Kick, Focus Energy, Karate Chop
> 
> **Nidoran (F)**  
>  Ability: Poison Point  
> Moves: Growl, Poison Sting, Scratch, Tail Whip
> 
> **Weedle**  
>  Ability: Shield Dust  
> Moves: Poison Sting, String Shot
> 
> **Metapod**  
>  Ability: Shed Skin  
> Moves: Tackle, String Shot, Harden


	16. Viridian Forest, Part 3

Blue woke up alone in his sleeping bag, and was relieved to not hear the pitter-patter of rain. It had rained again periodically the day before, and he had been hoping to spend only one or two more days in the forest. It took him a moment to find his flashlight in the dark, as he tried to contain his panic.

_Maybe my last dream was scary? And where is Squirtle?!_

The cute turtle was all curled up with Mankey and Nidoran at the foot of his sleeping bag, which had fit that flat rectangle on the floor almost perfectly, while Kakuna and Metapod were nestled in the corner. Blue groggily wiped his eyes clean and then stretched, as Pidgey flew in from outside. He chirped at Blue with a bit of attitude, as if he had overslept.

_I’m just glad they know to go outside to use the bathroom. Imagine if Sabrina found out my Pokémon had used her meditation chamber as an outhouse! I’d never get the Marsh Badge._

Pidgey fluttered over to Squirtle, landing on his head as he stirred. Mankey opened her eyes and jumped back immediately, likely unwilling to take a chance with another Flying-type after the encounter with Spearow. Unfortunately, she tripped over Nidoran, who had been curled up behind her, and toppled over. The latter cracked open an eye and made a soft humming sound, as if enjoying the show, or at least her part in it. Kakuna flexed his armlike stingers off to the left, and Metapod also opened his eyes.

“Alright, let’s all calm down a bit. Good morning, everyone. Take a second to wake up while I pack up, and then we’ll head outside for breakfast.”

Blue wrapped up his sleeping bag, securing it in its tight waterproof bag that had kept it dry during the shower the day before. He put on the pants he had left folded beside the sleeping bag, and his shirt, which he’d decided to try sleeping without in an attempt to minimize the amount of sweat in his clothes between wash days.

_It was warm enough in here to get away with it, but I’m not sure it’s a good idea most of the time._

Blue recalled the two cocoons and picked up his bag, then his flashlight again, and wiggled his way out of the hollow. The cavity had been convenient to sleep in, but was not as fun to get out of.

When they had all settled down again outside the hollow, Blue called out Metapod and Kakuna then led his party in movement drills in the dimly lit clearing. He had let the two cocoons out just so they wouldn’t feel left out, but he was surprised to see them occasionally shift or roll. Kakuna in particular was able to manipulate his claws to adjust his body, though Metapod seemed to have a more limited movement range.

_"Kakuna, the Cocoon Pokémon. Number 014. Bug Poison-type. Base stats: 45, 25, 25, 35, 25, 50."_

_Kakuna does have a higher speed stat, so that is apparently how it is reflected. It’s too bad Metapod doesn’t have any arms._

Once Blue noticed himself panting, and that even Pokémon like Pidgey and Nidoran were starting to slow down, he called for break for breakfast. After filling everyone’s bowls, he confirmed what he’d feared; his canteens were basically empty now.

_They might be able to stay here for longer, but I can’t drink from that stream. I bet following it would bring me to a ranger post though; it would make sense to place one near such a prominent landmark._

* * *

Blue made slow but steady progress along the bank of the stream, hopping between rocks and generally trying to avoid the ivy when possible. Pidgey flew above him, fluttering between branches as he made progress, and landing on his shoulder when he paused to analyze his surroundings.

They passed numerous Metapod, though few opened their eyes when he approached. He had decided to leave those ones be, having guessed that unconscious Pokémon wouldn’t give much experience, or at least not EVs. For those that responded, he rotated between Metapod and Kakuna, as they still seemed the weakest and least battle ready of his party.

After more than an hour and a half, he still had yet to come upon a ranger post, though he had seen a significant drop in the number of Caterpie and Metapod, and an increase in the density of itching ivy specifically in the nearby area. He struggled to stay by the stream, and was forced to break away and return further down several times. The sun had risen, but the fact that the canopy had grown more thickly here meant the light level had changed little since breakfast.

_Was there a station upstream, rather than down? I wish I had a Charmander to burn this stupid forest down!_

Blue’s throat was dry, but he tried not to focus on that as he jumped between ivy patches, then followed what looked like an old game trail up a hill. He was largely unsuccessful, and instead tried to focus on not getting angry about it.

_Why not? It’s not like Gramps is here to belt me if I yell. I just want to get out of these stupid bug-infested woods!_

Blue kicked a fallen branch as hard as he could, but hit it at the wrong angle, doing more damage to his own hip than to the piece of wood. He growled, then more carefully kicked it, this time into the brush instead of nowhere. He paused at the top of the ridge, spotting a young girl with an insect net below.

_I could kick her Pokémon’s butts instead; seriously, who is stupid enough to only use Bug-type Pokémon?!_

_No, she doesn’t deserve that. I still have control of my anger for now. Let’s keep it that way._

Blue turned to his right and followed the ridgeline instead. The trail gradually faded away, leaving him crossing large beds of pine needles. The trees here seemed older, and stood farther apart, and the welcome sunlight reminded him that it was almost lunchtime.

_This is one of the few places in the forest where we actually have space to sit down and stretch comfortably. Not many leaves for Nidoran though. I wonder if she can eat pine needles? At least Kakuna doesn’t seem to need food while he’s in chrysalis form, just like Metapod._

He kept lunch short, since they didn’t have any water nearby, and all the food just left his mouth feeling drier. Nidoran actually had been willing to eat the pine needles, though only the fresh green ones, and even then unenthusiastically. Blue let her share in the nuts and dried fruit with the rest of the party though.

After packing up, he continued on alone, deciding that he’d rather be alone for now. The ridge continued, though it seemed to curve slightly, before the evergreens started to blend back into the species he’d become familiar with the last few days, including the ivies. Before he knew it, he was back in the underbrush, following another narrow trail. This one, however, brought him to somewhere new.

Blue found himself in a small clearing, where a large boulder stood in the center. Chirping and the sound of vibrating wings were everywhere, though as he walked around it he realized the noise actually emanated from the rock itself, and was echoing off the trees.

He paused for a moment, taking stock of the giant stone, then peeled off his pack and tried to grab a handhold. Blue was unable to maintain a hold of the slick stone, and after trying two more times, peeked around to find a series of large notches in the side, worn down by rain, wind and time. He quickly made his way to the top after that, skipping multiple rungs in the old lithic ladder.

The second he reached the top, the whole clearing went silent for a moment as he took it all in. More than a dozen Butterfree floated about or perched on the edge of a gleaming pool of water. Even more Pidgey were ambling in the shallower sections, or cleaned their feathers or hopped from one side to the other. There was even one Pidgeotto, which sat silently where the stone was highest, as if watching over the whole affair.

Then, they all burst to life at once. There was a flurry of color, squawking, feathers and splashing, as almost thirty Pokémon took flight all at once and fled into the trees.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you all…”

Blue sat down on the edge of the pool and looked at his reflection as the ripples subsided. It was tinged yellow-ish green from the pollen of the nearby trees, and who knew what else.

_I guess I’m not drinking that._

Blue took a minute to himself, just looking at his own tainted image blankly before eventually climbing back down, and retrieving his belongings. It took a moment to identify the trail he’d entered by, and then he picked another opposite it to leave by. The ivy returned, and he quickly found himself on another slope, and then near the top, face to face with a wild Kakuna.

_At the very least, we can get some more training in._

Blue sent out his own Kakuna, which exited his Poké Ball on a branch, directly in front of the wild one. He requested “Poison Sting until it faints”, hoping it wouldn’t take more than 30 attacks, given the type resistance, then sent out Metapod when he found a second one.

_Wow, there’s actually a whole bunch of Kakuna here._

Blue carried Metapod over to a third wild Kakuna once the second had fainted, his footsteps crunching leaves and needles beneath, then walked over to check on Kakuna. The yellow bug was clearly determined to win, despite the lack of apparent damage.

_“You can do it, Kakuna. I know it’s tough to hurt it, but it can’t fight back. See if you can finish it off before Metapod finishes his battle!”_

It was worse than watching paint dry, but eventually, both battles ended at roughly the same time. Blue grabbed his two Pokémon, and brought them over to another cocoon to fight together, hoping it would help them both gain experience faster.

_And keep me a little less bored, maybe…_

Blue explored the hilltop, noting the various locations of the plethora of Kakuna. They were stuck to trunks, hanging from branches, lodged in nooks, and occasionally on the ground between roots. There was a lot of ivy, but it was sparse in coverage, allowing Blue room to maneuver. He counted at least almost two dozen more in the immediate vicinity, before he turned back to his own Pokémon.

_“Kuuuunn.”_

_“Mettt-taa.”_

It was hard to read emotion in the two chrysalides, but he sensed they were probably enjoying themselves.

_That’s how they’d been before they evolved, at least._

Blue picked them both up and attempted to carry them over to the next Kakuna, which proved surprisingly difficult. Neither was a particularly small Pokémon, nor did they have any convenient handholds.

_I should’ve stuck to one at a time._

He contorted his arms so that he could see over the cocoons, and stepped toward the next target. Blue stubbed his toe on a rock, stumbling forward and struggling to maintain his balance as he headbutted the Kakuna hanging from a branch nearby. The four of them fell to the ground, pine needles and twigs crunching beneath them.

“Ugh, sorry everyone.”

He took a moment to unblur his vision, and as he bent down to retrieve Metapod, who had fallen from his arms, he heard a strange vibrating noise. Blue stood up and turned around, looking for the source of the sound, but couldn’t see anything.

_It’s getting louder though. What..?_

Blue looked up, then nearly dropped Metapod again in fright, as he saw a swarm of ten Beedrill down from above.

_Shit._

Blue broke into a run, still attempting to balance the two bug Pokémon in his arms. He focused on holding them tightly while barely avoiding the trees, itching ivy completely forgotten. His heavy bag smacked against his back in a steady rhythm, which threatened to topple him when he swerved to avoid a fallen log.

_Those stingers are huge. One of those could literally kill me._

Blue had never seen a Beedrill in person, and now he wished it had stayed that way. He scraped his shoulder along the bark of a tree, with the stumble giving him a glance at his pursuers. He burst back into a forward charge, ducking beneath branches and somehow sprinting full speed down a steep incline that he definitely should have rolled down, nevermind with Metapod and Kakuna in hand.

Blue started weaving between trees as he realized the buzzing was right behind him, hoping to buy himself enough time to wear them out. He could feel his sweaty hands slipping on Kakuna’s slick shell, though, and the searing pain in his lungs, and even the small copper taste in his mouth.

_Why does this always happen to me?! Beedrill have to be faster than Pidgey; I am not getting away, am I?_

A second ledge suddenly appeared before him, and Blue forced a hard right, fighting against the momentum of his body, his bag and his Pokémon to avoid sliding down. Then he found himself trapped by three trees with branches too low and intertwined to break through.

Blue turned about to find himself face to face with three Beedrill, though he could see at least two more coming up behind them.

_Do something! Anything!_

Blue tossed Metapod and Kakuna in front of him, which paused the Beedrill which were about to lunge at him.

“Kakuna, Metapod, use Harden!”

_I need a wall. Kakuna resists Bug and Poison-type moves at least._

He grabbed random Poké Balls from his belt and threw them at the Beedrill’s heads. Two were hit in the abdomen, one ball went wide, and the other slipped out of his hand and fell beside him.

Squirtle and Mankey popped out between the Beedrill, worked up and ready to go. Nidoran came out of the ball right next to Blue, and gave him a look from the corner of her eye. Pidgey must have been in the last ball, but he couldn’t see him.

“Nidoran, Growl! Keep Metapod and Kakuna safe! Mankey, use Focus Energy then Covet the Beedrill! Squirtle, use Rapid Spin twice! Get some speed!”

Metapod and Kakuna each took a two hits from the Beedrill as Blue gave his commands, followed closely by Mankey. Metapod slid back at the impact, but the others barely flinched.

_Twineedle, probably. Metapod wouldn’t resist it._

Metapod and Kakuna started glowing again, Hardening their shells as Squirtle spun haphazardly at a Beedrill that had turned toward him. Mankey made his focusing growl-like sound, puffing out like a giant hairball.

“Pidgey, use Gust if you can hear me! Keep the Beedrill separated from each other, so they can’t team up on anyone!”

Nidoran had finally gotten into position and let out her first Growl at the aggressive insects as a Gust of wind sent another Beedrill flying into a tree. Blue could just see Pidgey above the fluttering wings, chasing after the bug he launched.

The Beedrill nearest Squirtle made the harshest screeching sound Blue had ever heard from a Pokémon, as it scraped its stingers together like it was sharpening knives, then launched itself at the turtle.

“Dodge left!”

Squirtle dodged successfully, as did Mankey and Nidoran, though the last wasn’t under attack.

_I’m sure I’ll hear from her later._

Kakuna Hardened again, then he and Metapod were struck again by Twineedle. Metapod glowed shortly after, as Mankey jumped up and swiped at her own opponent. Nidoran hid behind Kakuna to dodge a Fury Attack from the fifth Beedrill, which was swooping in from Blue’s left. Squirtle used Rapid Spin again, charging up his Beedrill’s Rage, but also increasing his own speed.

“Zen Headbutt! Knock that thing out! Pidgey, help Mankey! Nidoran, use Tail Whip! Focus on helping Metapod, he doesn’t resist the attacks!”

Pidgey responded immediately, diving out of the sky to Tackle the Beedrill attempting to use Pursuit to counter Mankey’s dodges. He knocked it to the ground as Nidoran wagged her tail, then supported Metapod from behind to keep him upright as he was struck by Twineedle. His shell started blurring like purple ink before a piece detached.

“Wow, good job Nidoran! Keep it up, team! Pidgey, Gust it again!”

Mankey struck her Beedrill with Covet again while it was recovering from Pidgey’s Tackle, then got off just as Pidgey launched another Gust to finish it off. Squirtle dodged a Rage, now moving faster than his opponent, and crashed into its abdomen with a Zen Headbutt. It shot through the air and into a tree trunk, where it fell still.

_Two down, at least. Metapod needs help, now!_

“Pidgey, Mankey, help Metapod! Squirtle, use Water Gun to keep the Beedrill away from Kakuna!”

A Gust of wind blew into the Beedrill diving at Metapod, just managing to knock its Twineedle off course. Unfortunately, it also meant that Mankey’s Covet missed. Squirtle pushed Kakuna’s attacker off to the side, but the fifth Beedrill struck Nidoran with Pursuit as she tried to duck behind the yellow cocoon. The blow tossed her back and into the air.

“Nidoran! Squirtle, help her!”

Pidgey missed Metapod’s opponent this time, but Mankey’s Covet connected, striking its left stinger with an audible crunch. The Beedrill buzzed shrilly as its arm hung, bent like a broken hinge. Then, Metapod Tackled it straight on in the head, knocking it out. Metapod glowed again shortly after.

“Nice job! Good critical hit, Mankey! And great timing, Metapod!”

Kakuna took a succession of five strikes from his opponent, barely holding on from the onslaught. Squirtle shot the Beedrill hurtling toward Nidoran with another Water Gun, giving her time to get back to her feet. Blue’s eyes were going fuzzy from the sweat, tears and light.

“Squirtle, use Zen Headbutt and knock it out! Mankey, protect Kakuna! Pidgey, you too; Gust it down!”

Nidoran used Tail Whip, then dodged her returning Beedrill, who was instead greeted by Squirtle’s forehead. It bounced once, then slid a foot and a half on the ground before going still. Pidgey’s Gust forced the Kakuna’s Beedrill to back off, though it didn’t hit directly. It strafed to its right, as if to escape into the trees, before Mankey swung off a branch and side swiped it with Covet.

_This one is good. Maybe it’s the leader? Shit!_

The Beedrill seemed to have figured out who its enemies’ leader was too, because it beelined in a suicide charge straight at him. He didn’t have time to respond before it was slammed into the ground by a Gust, then up into a tree trunk by another, where it finally slid down in an ungraceful heap of limbs.

Pidgey and Butterfree fluttered in the air above, Blue and the rest of his party gathered around Kakuna. He checked on each of them, one at a time, and administered a few potions. As a whole, the team was largely unharmed, with Nidoran and the bugs having taken the real hits. He bandaged the bleeding gash in Nidoran’s upper leg before recalling her.

Kakuna had used Harden a lot, so there weren’t any bruises, just small lacerations in Kakuna’s shell. Butterfree’s evolution seemed to have healed most of his obvious injuries as well, though he was clearly tired as he landed on Blue’s shoulder.

After them, Blue moved on to Mankey and Squirtle, whose injuries were relatively minor. Finally, he walked over to the branch Pidgey had settled on to groom his feathers.

“Hey, come on down so I can look at you.”

Pidgey batted his wings, then shot through the air in front of Blue, who took two steps back in surprise. He blinked, then smiled.

“Quick Attack! Nice job, Pidgey! You and Rattata can practice together when we get back to the city!”

_“Dgeooh!”_

Blue checked Pidgey for injuries, then finally recalled him as well, letting out a deep breath he hadn’t known he’d been holding. He leaned back, closing his eyes and feeling the few rays of sunshine that leaked through the trees onto his face. Then, he screamed as his backpack caused him to lose his balance, and he fell off the side of the ridge.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Blue's Party:  
>  **Squirtle**  
>  Ability: Rain Dish  
> Moves: Rapid Spin, Zen Headbutt, Water Gun, Withdraw
> 
>  **Pidgey**  
>  Ability: Keen Eye  
> Moves: Tackle, Sand Attack, Gust, Quick Attack
> 
>  **Mankey**  
>  Ability: Anger Point  
> Moves: Covet, Low Kick, Focus Energy, Karate Chop
> 
>  **Nidoran (F)**  
>  Ability: Poison Point  
> Moves: Growl, Poison Sting, Scratch, Tail Whip
> 
>  **Kakuna**  
>  Ability: Shed Skin  
> Moves: Poison Sting, String Shot, Harden
> 
>  **Butterfree**  
>  Ability: Unknown  
> Moves: Tackle, String Shot, Harden, Gust


End file.
